Report - Emerging Bahrain

ISSN 1744-4411
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The Kingdom of Bahrain is made up of nearly 40 islands located between the Qatar peninsula and Saudi Arabia in the Persian Gulf. The largest island accounts for 83% of the nation's total area and is home to the majority of Bahrain's 724,645 inhabitants. Oil was discovered in Bahrain in 1932 and the hydrocarbons industry, which was previously non-existent, soon became the central sector of the country's burgeoning economy. After achieving independence from the UK in 1971, Bahrain's leaders began the long process of economic diversification, which they considered a necessity due to the fact that the nation's oil reserves are not nearly as large as those of its neighbours. Since achieving independence from the UK in 1971, Bahrain has slowly begun to modernise its government and introduce democracy. In 2002 Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the country's current monarch, organised elections for a newly instituted bicameral legislature. Education is one of the most important parts of the government's strategy for development and the country's schools and universities are already considered to be among the best in the Gulf. St Christopher's, a leading private school in Bahrain, was recently named one of the top 10 schools outside the UK by The Guardian.

Publisher: Oxford Business Group

1 issue is available electronically

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