Manama - Post Report Question and Answers
What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Large for the size of the country. Since the fall of the oil price, a lot the expat jobs have evaporated, and thus so have the expats. Bahrain is consistently voted as a top destination for expats (not entirely sure why, I am guessing because of the relatively liberal atmosphere for the region?). All the expats who live in the oil rich Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia come to Bahrain on the weekends. From their perspective, Bahrain is like an adult Disneyland - there are nightclubs, bars, alcohol, mediocre beaches, more alcohol, pork, and most things they can't get in Saudi Arabia. They also have the money to spend on inflated hotel room prices, brunches, and overpriced beers. So, overall morale is good outside of the Embassy.
Morale inside the Embassy was so-so at best. People who are Middle East-philes, and speak Arabic aren't putting Bahrain at the top of their list as career making posts. So most people who end up there do so because a) it's their first assignment so they didn't have much of a choice, or b) they couldn't get a job elsewhere. No one is ecstatic to be there, and most of the U.S. Embassy assignments are three years - and it's a long three years. The local Embassy staff are often third country nationals, who don't work well with the Bahrainis, and there is a lot animosity between the two groups. Each perceive the other as being treated more fairly by the Americans, when in fact the American supervisors generally just don't want to get involved. The third country nationals also can't speak Arabic, and can't accomplish anything when dealing with the host government; and the local Bahraini employees are exclusively Shia, which meant they also couldn't accomplish anything with the Sunni government. It all makes for a very frustrating work environment. - Apr 2017
50% are expats, mostly Brits. I think people like it here. Its not paradise, but it's easy living. - Sep 2016
Medium and great community feel. - Nov 2015
When we left, morale was already bad and getting worse. Nearly everyone we know curtailed from post. For more details, read the 2014 OIG report on Manama. Size of expat community is smaller than pre-Arab Spring. Most expats in Bahrain are British who live in Bahrain and commute to the oil fields in Saudi. - Aug 2014
Huge. About 50% of people on the island are expats. Most are maids and laborers and the rest are in the diplomatic, financial, or oil/gas sectors. The U.S. community at the Embassy is about 50 officers plus children. With the naval base here, the total number of Americans is in the thousands. - Sep 2012
HUGE.That's why this place has so much to offer. Lots of expats working in Saudi Arabia use Baharin as a base for their families so there's a very diverse group of people here. The population of Bahrain is half expats (mostly Southeast Asian and Indian). - Apr 2010
Large. Lots of oil companies with expats from all over. - Jun 2009
About 50% of the total population. - Dec 2008
I've heard rumors that they exist,however it is too darn hot to go out and find other people to talk to. - Aug 2008
