Bahrain Travel Guide - Essentials

Safety: crime in Bahrain is very low and is unlikely to be a problem if the usual advice is followed carefully – just watch your possessions and you will be fine. Although the country is stuck firmly in the centre of the Middle East, you might be forgiven for thinking otherwise. Suicide bombings, invasions and kidnappings just don’t happen in Bahrain, hence the lack of journalists and humanitarian workers.

When to go: choosing the right time to visit Bahrain can make all the difference. Come between the months of April and September and you will almost certainly have to deal with high temperatures and high levels of humidity without any rain.

Money: the Bahraini dinar is closely pegged to the Saudi Riyal so that one dinar equals ten riyals and both currencies are accepted in Bahrain. The US dollar is undoubtedly the next most acceptable currency here but in truth all major currencies can easily be changed throughout at banks or exchange kiosks.

Major credit cards are also warmly accepted, particularly in Manama at major hotels, travel agents, upscale restaurants and large souvenir stores.

Persian is also spoken to a lesser degree, so too Hindi and Urdu, which reflects the large number of Indians that live and work in the country. Attempts to speak other languages in Bahrain are likely to be met with confusion just about everywhere except at specialist tour operators with specialist guides.

Emergency services: 999

Traffic and accidents: 688888

Coastguard: 700000

Recommended hospitals:
Manama - Ibn Al-Nafees Hospital (17) 828282
Saar - Saar Medical Centre (17) 790025
Salmaniya - Noor Specialist Hospital (17) 260026

Business needs: if ever there was a Middle Eastern country that is geared towards business, it’s Bahrain. The country has been rated highly in terms of business freedom; however, in the areas that are most likely to impact on foreigners - investment and employment - Bahrain has scored less well, although still much better than most Arab countries.

Typical business hours:

• Government departments: 07:00 to 14:15, Saturday to Wednesday.
• Retail: 08:30 to 12:30 and 16:00 to 22:00, daily.
• Banking: 07:30 to 13:00, Saturday to Thursday.