Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a borderless island country in the Persian Gulf and is the smallest Arab nation. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway (officially opened on November 25, 1986), and Qatar is to the south across the Persian Gulf. The Qatar–Bahrain Friendship Bridge currently being planned will link Bahrain to Qatar as the longest fixed link in the world.

Living in Bahrain   by Rhiannon Williamson

The Kingdom of Bahrain basks in the warm, clear and calm waters of the Persian Gulf and is an incredibly prosperous and multi cultural country becoming increasingly popular with professional expatriates seeking well paying employment in a low taxation country where the standard of living in Bahrain is incredibly high and the local people are liberal and tolerant towards other cultures.

Bahrain manages to maintain a relatively neutral foreign policy and because of its general liberalism it's a great place for Western expatriates to experience a totally new life abroad. These facts mean that the number of international citizens living in Bahrain has increased substantially in recent years and directly contributed to the fact that Bahrain now has the fastest growing economy in the Arab world.

For anyone considering living in Bahrain this article is an introduction to the country, the entry requirements and to living and working in Bahrain.

Citizens of all nations other than Gulf Cooperation Council countries require a visa to enter Bahrain with the majority of those moving to live in the Kingdom being sponsored for their visa by their employer. The range of visas available is vast with much depending on whether the applicant has a job offer, is a spouse or dependent of an employed person in Bahrain, the country the individual heralds from etc., and therefore those considering travelling to Bahrain should initially contact their nearest Bahraini embassy or visit the Kingdom of Bahrain's Ministry of Interior website to find out which visa they should apply for and how to go about the application process.

The capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain is Manama and most expatriates live in and around the capital and work in one of the Kingdom's main industries which are petroleum production and processing, IT, telecommunications, hospitality, medicine or banking. As a result of the popularity of the location, property for sale and rent in Manama is offered at a premium and those moving to work in Bahrain on a firm job offer should try and negotiate some money towards their housing as part of their overall remuneration package.

Unlike in some other Arab nations foreigners are permitted to own property in Bahrain and because the economy of the nation is so strong many see investment into property in Bahrain as a solid move to make. However for those keen on living in Bahrain the first step to take is to secure a job offer and then to rent housing while settling into the Kingdom and ensuring it is right for them before committing to the purchase of immovable property assets that can be slow to liquidate should the individual in question decide to leave the Kingdom.

Finally it's worth noting that the standard of living enjoyed by westerners living in Bahrain is incredibly high. As stated Bahrain is a prosperous country and one offering residents and visitors alike a cosmopolitan destination with exciting nightlife and incredible shopping! Hence it is of no surprise whatsoever that the number of international expatriates moving to the Kingdom ever year is on the increase.

Rhiannon Williamson writes guides and articles about planning a new life in Asia and the Arabic World on her site www.EasternExplorer.com visit the site for further specialist advice about working, education and living in Bahrain.