.
Kingdom of Bahrain
Ever
since I moved to
the Philippines to continue my
educational plan and study for
college, I have now considered the
Kingdom of Bahrain a vacation spot.
My last trip to Bahrain was last March
31 to June 1. Basically, Bahrain is a
small island country, which is 34 miles
long and 11 miles wide. Despite its
“small” description, it is nevertheless
considered a highly economical
nation.
According
to
Wikipedia,
Bahrain today has a high Human
Development Index (48th highest in the
world) and the World Bank identified
it as a high income economy. It is
also a member of the United Nations,
World Trade Organisation, the Arab
League, the Non-Aligned Movement,
the Organization of the Islamic
Conference as well as a founding
member of the Cooperation Council
for the Arab States of the Gulf. Bahrain
was also designated as a major nonNATO ally by the George W. Bush
administration in 2001. Moreover,
considering the multi-cultural, multiethnic and multi-denominational
society, along with a low cost of living,
excellent education facilities offering
curricula from around the world and
high-quality healthcare, Bahrain is
an attractive destination for expat
families.
Bahrain is also rich in terms
of oil. Discovered in 1932, oil and
gas is way cheap compared to the
Philippines. A full-tank in Bahrain
cost around P300 only (if we convert
the currency of Bahrain and the
Philippines). Its economy is highly
diversified with booming banking
and tourism sectors. It is basically a
tourist spot which highlights both the
ancient and modern civilization. The
different sites I consider memorable
are the country’s capital, Manama,
which is home to many large financial
structures, including the Bahrain
World Trade Center and the Bahrain
Financial Harbour. Luckily, I took my
internship during my vacation in a
newspaper company. From where
I stood, I saw the entire city at the
top of the Harbour building which
is 55 floors high. Another one, is
whenever the Bahrain Formula One
Grand P rix takes place at the Bahrain
International Circuit every year.
Bahrain is part of the F1 World Grand
Prix. This is when tourism income gets
high since tourists and foreigners fly
in to witness the best racers in auto
racing.
Photos and text by
Johmar Dasigan
Layout by
Neil Dominic De Luna
Bahrain’s desert
There are many more tourist attractions in Bahrain and to
name a few are: Bahrain National Museum, traditional houses
of Muharraq and the antiqued mosques, considered to be
the main historical attractions to know more about the ethical
standards of Bahrain. The ’Tree of Life’ is also located in the deserts
of Bahrain. The history of Bahrain is quite interesting, including
its political dynasty. The politics of Bahrain is a constitutional
monarchy headed by Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King
of Bahrain. The Crown Prince is Shaikh Salman bin Hmad bin Isa
Al Khalifa and the Prime Minister is Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al
Khalifa. The names may be complicated and confusing.
Whenever I visit Bahrain I have that feeling of comfort
and relief since I myself, know that it was my first home. Bahrain
has a lot of expatriates, mostly Asians and this leaves Bahrain, in
my perspective, a liberal country.
Bahrain World Trade Center
79