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Coming of age: Bahrain

by Chryssa Kanellakis-Reimer on Friday, 03 October 2008

The Gulf's smallest country has been quietly coming out of its sleep. And just like its Dubai neighbour, the kingdom is billing itself as a financial hub, a construction giant and a high-end events capital. We examine how Bahrain may surprise the world.

When Nancy Ajram, one the best-loved Arab singers was scheduled to perform in Bahrain in 2003 all hell broke loose: opposition MPs called upon Parliament to ban her from presenting her ‘lewd' acts; hard-line Islamists took to the streets, burning tyres and pelting stones at concert-goers.

It seems that Bahrain in 2003 wasn't quite ready for Ajram's brand of innocent sexuality and belly-button-revealing outfits. But less than three years later, and Nancy Ajram is welcomed back with open arms, performing to great acclaim at the Hotel Al Khalij.

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Airport transfer times, a key factor for time-poor business people who might only be in the country for 24 hours, are refreshingly short.

All the Gulf countries are undergoing rapid change, but perhaps none more so than Bahrain. The Nancy Ajram story is an excellent illustration of the broader shift in Bahraini culture, values and attitudes towards foreigners and indeed their own self-identity.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has always been considered the most liberal of the GCC countries, but only now does it seem to be truly comfortable with this status.

In the past, this has led to internal tensions between Islamist hard-liners and the more Western-orientated modernisers. But the very existence of this tension and the fact that it can be voiced through fairly democratic channels, can, in itself, be seen as a positive sign.

Bahrain has one of the most inclusive political systems in the Gulf, with the highest number of women in positions in government and a broad range of political parties, ranging from Al-Minbar Al-Islami (Islamic Platform) Society, which is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, to the Democratic Society, Bahrain's former communist party.


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