Business Customs
Frequent personal contact is key to doing business successfully in Bahrain. Visiting business professionals should be prepared to spend a portion of any business meeting socializing and getting to know their counterparts. Most visitors to Bahrain should build flexibility into their schedules because some appointments may not be scheduled until the visitors have already arrived in Bahrain. Appointments may be double-booked or scheduled on short notice.
A visitor should arrive on time for meetings, particularly for government appointments. Once the meeting begins, it may be interrupted by telephone calls or office visits. Coffee, tea, or soft drinks are commonly offered (except during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan) and should be accepted. Alcohol is generally not acceptable in meetings or most public settings and is strictly prohibited during Ramadan. Restaurants and liquor shops suspend the sale of alcohol during this month. Politeness is highly valued; blunt statements should be recast into constructive, balanced terms.
The majority of local businessowners and government officials wear local attire - a white dress (thobe) for men with a fabric headdress including a scarf (ghatrah) and a headband (egal), and a black dress (abaya) and head covering (hijab) for women. However, expatriates typically wear business attire similar to that of the United States.
Business cards are usually exchanged during the first meeting. Visiting business officials should have their business cards ready to hand out at the beginning of the meeting.
Devout Muslims pray five times daily. Visitors should be sensitive to hosts who break off a discussion for prayer.
Many Bahraini government and business officials have attended school in the UK or United States and are knowledgeable about Western business customs. English is widely spoken.
Most Bahraini government offices operate Sunday through Thursday, and many companies also are open half-days on Saturdays. Most commercial banks are open Sunday through Thursday.
Travel Advisory
The crime rate in Bahrain is low and violent crimes are rare. However, burglary, petty theft, and robberies do occur. Visiting U.S. citizens should take the same security precautions in Bahrain as they would practice in the United States. There are occasional civil disturbances in various parts of the country. The U.S. Embassy advises American citizens to avoid protests or large gatherings in the streets.
Americans in Bahrain, as elsewhere, should enroll to receive alerts at step.state.gov, and should maintain a high level of security awareness while following their daily business or social routines, due to the global threat of terrorism. For the latest travel advisories, please visit the U.S. Embassy Manama’s website at bh.usembassy.gov or the Department of State’s Bahrain Country Specific Information page: travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/bahrain.html
Visa Requirements
American citizens traveling to Bahrain can review visa eligibility requirements at www.evisa.gov.bh and complete the application process for several types of visas on that website.
American citizens may apply for several visa types for business or tourism purposes, or obtain a visa on arrival However, U.S. airlines may not permit you to board a flight to Bahrain if your stay is longer than 30 days and you have not purchased a visa in advance. The full visa guide with information on visa categories and costs is available on the Bahrain Electronic Visa website.
U.S. companies that require travel of foreign businesspersons to the United States are advised that security evaluations are handled via an interagency process. For more information, visa applicants should go to the following link: State Department Visa Website.
Non-Bahraini nationals, wishing to live and work legally in Bahrain, will need to apply for a work visa and residency permit from the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (lmra.bh/portal/ar/home) and Nationality, Passport, and Residence Affairs (www.npra.gov.bh).
For further details about visas for Bahrain, please contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain:
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
3502 International Dr., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Email: ambsecretary@bahrainembassy.org
Phone: +1-202-342-1111
It is important to note that your U.S. passport must be valid for at least six months after your arrival in order to be granted admission into Bahrain.
For more details, please visit www.evisa.gov.bh.
Non-Bahraini nationals wishing to live and work legally in Bahrain will need to apply for a work visa and residency permit from the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (lmra.bh/portal/en/home) and Nationality, Passport, and Residence Affairs (www.npra.gov.bh).
For further details about visas for Bahrain, please contact the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain:
Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain
3502 International Dr., NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Email: ambsecretary@bahrainembassy.org
Phone: +1-202-342-1111
Currency
Bahrain’s currency is called the Bahraini Dinar (BD). Businesses will often accept Saudi Riyals.
The exchange rate of BD with the U.S. Dollar is fixed at 1 BD = US$ 2.66. Money can be conveniently exchanged at any commercial bank or moneychanger.
Most businesses accept international credit and debit cards. Visitors can withdraw cash up to 200 BD daily from ATMs in Bahrain using all major credit and ATM cards.
Telecommunications/Electronics
Three local companies, Batelco, STC and Zain, operate mobile phone networks and provide internet services.
U.S. Executive Order 13873 bars U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment or services of any firm posing a national security risk.
Transportation
Bahrain’s only public airport, Bahrain International Airport (airport code BAH), is a regional hub for Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air. Several international airlines service Bahrain and the United States via connections through the Gulf region or Europe, and Bahrain-based Gulf Air will resume direct flights to the United States in late 2025. In January 2021, the Bahraini government inaugurated a new passenger terminal at Bahrain International Airport. The project is part of the Airport Modernization Program, a comprehensive development plan designed to improve the infrastructure and services at the airport to cater to future aviation needs. Bahrain has a well-developed road network with well-lit, multi-lane highways. The Bahraini government is implementing a transportation master plan to improve the road transportation network with new highways, bridges and overpasses. Most major roads are well maintained.
Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are connected by the 16-mile King Fahd Causeway, which opened in November 1986.. The Bahraini government has announced plans to build a second causeway to Saudi Arabia. When complete, this causeway also will include two rail links (one for passengers and one for cargo) as part of the planned GCC railway network.
Drivers in Bahrain should exercise caution as accidents are common. Local drivers often flout traffic regulations and police often do not consistently enforce traffic rules. Speed cameras and radars have been installed at some intersections. Driving on weekend nights can be particularly hazardous. Bahrain has a zero-tolerance policy for drunk driving. Traffic congestion is common in Manama, exacerbated by ongoing construction projects and weekend traffic from neighboring countries.
The Bahraini government is expanding public transportation options to decrease traffic congestion. Over 141 public buses cover 27 routes in all regions of the island. Usually, they are reliable and quite cheap. Taxis are more expensive than buses, however they are air-conditioned and serve more places than the public transportation system offers. Passenger boats connect Bahrain with the Hawar and Al Dar islands. Bahrain plans to open passenger ferry service in 2025 between the Muharraq Water Front Project (Saada) and points in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, and vehicle ferry services in the second phase of development.
Language
The official language of Bahrain is Arabic, but English is widely spoken as the standard language of business and higher education. Hindi, Farsi, and Urdu are also common.
Health
Sanitary standards for food and water are generally quite good, particularly at major hotels. The government inspects restaurants to maintain hygienic standards.
Bahrain has a modern healthcare system. There is a BD 7 (about $19) fee for expatriates who visit an emergency clinic in a government hospital. The U.S. Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to consult with their medical insurance companies prior to traveling abroad to confirm whether their policies provide coverage overseas and if they cover emergency expenses such as medical evacuation. Few hospitals and clinics accept U.S. insurance, and patients often must pay up front for service and seek reimbursement later from their insurance providers.
Hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies – including several twenty-four-hour pharmacies – are widely available and of high quality. Certain American pharmaceutical products may be unavailable or sold under a European brand name.
Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC’s internet site at Travelers’ Health | CDC . For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization’s website at www.who.int.
Business Hours
Local time: Bahrain is three hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time and seven hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time. Bahrain does not observe daylight savings time and therefore is eight hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time during winter months.
Business hours: Sunday through Thursday is the normal workweek in Bahrain. Government offices are generally open from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Most businesses operate from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, though smaller businesses close for lunch from noon to 4 p.m. Larger companies operate seven days a week but often have reduced hours on weekends.
Holidays
During the major holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, expect reduced government business hours and closures. R amadan is the holiest month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. It is illegal in Bahrain for anyone – including non-Muslims – to smoke, eat, or drink in public during daylight hours. Most restaurants and cafes are closed for dine-in during daylight hours but do deliver, and major hotels will normally keep one restaurant discretely open for non-Muslim guests. During Ramadan, government offices and most businesses have shortened hours, though many shopping malls and restaurants reopen at dusk and operate well past midnight. The timings of these holidays shift throughout the year based on the lunar calendar. The complete list of U.S. and local holidays observed by the U.S. Embassy Manama can be found on the U.S. Embassy website.
Business travelers to Bahrain seeking appointments with officials at the U.S. Embassy in Bahrain should schedule their appointments prior to departure from the United States. The U.S. Embassy Manama Commercial Section may be reached by e-mail at ManamaCommercial@state.gov. The U.S. Embassy may observe U.S. and Bahraini public holidays.
Temporary Entry of Materials or Personal Belongings
The Bahrain International Airport has no restrictions on the temporary entry of personal electronic devices such as laptops, software, or exhibit materials. Religious propaganda and potentially offensive printed materials, CDs, videos or films, should not be brought into the country. Strict copyright laws are enforced in Bahrain, and any pirated video and audio tapes, or illegal computer software, will be confiscated. A list of goods prohibited from entry into Bahrain can be found on the Bahrain Customs Affairs website at www.bahraincustoms.gov.bh.
Passengers are required to declare cash or any other financial instrument exceeding BD 10,000 (approximately $26,600). There is no restriction on the amount of cash that passengers may carry. Any declaration requirement is for monitoring and statistical purposes. For additional information, please visit the Civil Aviation Authority and Bahrain International Airport’s website.