Skyline of Manama, Bahrain. Photo by: Chris Price


Bahrain offers the lowest cost of living and business operating costs. Having an advanced education system, the workforce is highly skilled, and Bahrainis are five times more productive than the average GCC worker, according to the Conference Board Report.


Tourism and regional connections The tourism industry between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia increased significantly after the 26-kilometre causeway between the countries was opened in 1986 and now the causeway is a vital link to the entire Middle East. Besides its importance to trade, this spectacular road construction increased tourism, as it made it easy for the Saudis to enjoy a more liberal nightlife, with alcohol, bars, cinemas and modern restaurants in Bahrain. Another causeway has begun between Bahrain and Qatar, which will be the world’s longest sea-crossing at more than 40km. The project has been awarded to a consortium led by French and German companies and is set to be completed by 2015. Large scale tourism projects have been a


feature of the last decade, and the Government continues to award tenders for tourist complexes such as resorts, hotels and man-made island developments.


Australia & Bahrain Australia has a long association with Bahrain and is an important trade partner, with major Australian products exported as live animals (excluding seafood, mainly sheep), passenger motor vehicles, cheese and curd and vegetables. Major imports from Bahrain into Australia are fertilisers. There are some Australian companies in Bahrain in the


Manama, the Bahraini capital, is a rich city on the shores of the Persian Gulf. BAHRAIN’S SPECIAL PEARLS


services sector, including engineering consultancy, financial and office services, however this area is not captured in trade statistics. In 2007 an FTA began to be negotiated between Australia and the GCC, which includes Bahrain as a member state. As a mature and diversified economy committed to a


free market, Bahrain is an easy place to do business and is attracting an increasing number of foreign investment across different sectors, making the country a strong link in international trade. p


Bahrain is famous for its high-quality pearls from the freshwater springs found within the salty waters of the seas that surround Bahrain. The mix of salty and fresh water is the probable reason to the special lustre of the pearls from Bahrain, which are considered the world’s best. Pearls were the country’s biggest industry until the 1930s. Nowadays, pearl diving in Bahrain is only a hobby, as tourists can dive in the Bahraini oyster beds and have a chance of finding their own pearls. The discovery of large deposits of oil in the region and cheaper Japanese cultured peals flooding the international market killed off the local pearl industry. Despite this, Bahrain remains as a trading centre for high quality, natural pearls – cultured pearls are banned from the Bahrain pearl market. The country now plans to revive the pearl industry and build up more tourism around it. Bahrain is currently seeking a UNESCO listing as a World Heritage site to preserve its pearl diving traditions.


AUSTRALIA AND THE ARAB COUNTRIES | 2010 115


Grand Mosque in Bahrain. Photo by: Vladimir Arshinov.


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