Bahrain known as the Kingdom of Bahrain is a tiny country located on the border with Saudi Arabia. It is a highly developed economy with finance and construction industries, where the majority of the foreign nationals work. Indians comprise a significant part of the expatriate population. The following points will prove quite helpful:-
1. Legalization of documents – For moving to Bahrain, you need either employment visa or residency visa (family). In order to apply for employment visa or residency visa, your certificates like birth, degree, marriage should be attested from the concerned authorities. Day to day activities like applying for Internet connection can be done only after you have a well defined visa status. Go to the Bahrain Embassy/ consulate for the detailed procedure regarding Bahrain document attestation. For example, if you passed out your degree from Pune, then you have to undergo degree attestation for Bahrain in Pune. This process consists of authentication of your degree certificate from the concerned university in Pune, from where you passed out your degree. 2. Local customs – Alcohol is available only in designated hotels and bars and you should avoid drinking out in public. Women are expected to dress in simple clothes. During Ramzan, non Muslims should avoid eating and drinking in the open. Public worship of all religions is allowed unlike other conservative Gulf nations. Expatriates celebrate Diwali , Christmas with full religious fervor. The national language is Arabic and English is spoken everywhere and understood. Almost all offices are closed on Fridays , the weekly holiday. 3. Cost of living - Bahrain has an average cost of living among the Gulf countries. To give you an idea , a meal for 2 in an average restaurant in Manama, the capital city will cost you 700 INR approx. The biggest attraction here is the cheap cost of fuel. A liter of petrol costs only 25 INR. Accommodation is expensive by Indian standards. It is highly recommended that before coming to Bahrain , your employer provides you with accommodation, or gives you a substantial accommodation allowance . Please ensure that your offer letter clearly mentions this point. 5. Health – Bahrain has excellent public and private hospitals, which have world class facilities. Private hospitals though are quite expensive. It is important that your employer provides you with compulsory medical insurance. 6. Education – There are excellent Indian schools in Bahrain which follow the normal CBSE, ICSE systems of schooling. But please note that there is stiff competition for the limited no of seats available. Besides, this tuition fees is high as compared to ones back in India. Therefore, you are advised to ask your Bahrain sponsor to provide you with education allowance . 7. Transportation - Bahrain has very limited means of public transport. Rail services are virtually non existent and Indians usually go in for second hand cars, which are surprisingly quite affordable. Taxis and buses are cheap, but the frequency is not that good. 8. Communication – Bahrain has an excellent telecommunications network with the latest services like 4G widely used. The entire population has Internet access which is cheap and high speed. The country is well connected by air to the major countries of the world including India. 9. Weather – The climate is mostly hot and humid. Summer temperatures can reach up-to 50 degrees Celsius. So, you might feel uncomfortable with the high heat.
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