About Bahrain

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People & Heritage

Nearly five-sevenths of the population are Arabs, and most are native-born Bahrainis, but only minority of them are Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, comprising more than one-third of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the largely Asian labour force is foreign.

The population is more than four-fifths Muslim and includes both the minority Sunni and majority Shia sects. Bahrain is also the only Gulf Arab state with an active Jewish population, and has the largest Christian minority within the Gulf Arab states. Roughly 1,000 Christians hold Bahraini citizenship, with the closest country, Kuwait, only having approximately 200. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, but English is widely used. Southern Persian dialect is widely spoken by Bahrainis of Persian descent ajam and others. Many Bahrainis have a working knowledge not only of English but Hindi and Urdu as well.

In spite of its rapid economic development, Bahrain remains, in many respects, essentially Arab in its culture. Football (soccer) is the most popular modern sport, while traditional pastimes such as falconry, horse riding, and gazelle and hare hunting are still practiced by wealthier Bahrainis. Horse and camel racing are popular public entertainments.

Traditional handicraft industries enjoy state and popular support. The Bahrain National Museum in Manama contains local artifacts dating from antiquity, such as ivory figurines, pottery, copper articles, and gold rings, many of which reflect various cultural influences from outside Bahrain. There is also a small but flourishing avant-garde art community.