Constituted by a group of islands, the Kingdom of Bahrain is situated just off the western shore of the Persian Gulf. The island is 55 km long and 18 km wide and is majorly covered by deserts. The combination of island and desert makes for a unique and interesting landscape. This is one of the reasons why the country is considered to be one of the most sought after destinations among expats. In fact, it is so popular that it won the ninth place in HSBC’s 2016 poll of the top countries to live in.
According to a report published by the Gulf Labour Markets and Migration, Bahrain’s total population constitutes of 52% non-nationals. These facts speak volumes about the popularity of the country among expats. If you are wondering what led to this admiration, you are at the right place. Outlined below are top five reasons why people move to Bahrain and you should too:
- Employment opportunities:
Finding good jobs in Bahrain is not difficult, especially in oil and gas sector. Things are only going to get better since the government has started making efforts to diversify the country’s economy. This means that in the coming years, expats will get to see more and more employment opportunities in different fields such as IT, healthcare, etc.
- Tax-free income:
Once you have a job, the next thing to worry about is managing taxes. Well, that’s not a problem when you are in Bahrain as the country doesn’t require its people to pay any kind of tax on income earned. Expats see minor deductions in their monthly income since they are not qualified to avail the social security schemes run by the Bahraini government, but still the amount you have to pay is nothing compared to the tax amounts charged in other Asian and European countries. - Finding accommodation is easy:
Accommodation is one of the biggest concerns for any expat thinking of moving to a new country. The country has fabulous residential options to offer to people coming from all social sectors. Not only it is easy to find a place to live, but also rental prices in Bahrain are cheaper as compared to other GCC states.- Advertisement - - Low cost of living:
With low rental prices, it should not come as a surprise that the cost of living in Bahrain is also lower as compared to other places in the MENA region. Moreover, the Bahraini government doesn’t impose any kind of tax on income or wealth. All essential commodities, including gas are cheaper as compared to the prices we get to see in America or European countries. Even basic necessities such as water and electricity are charged at lower prices to make them accessible to more and more people. This is another big reason why Bahrain is a top choice among expats. - Travel and Connectivity:
Bahrain is situated at the center of the Gulf, making it well connected to the whole of the Middle East. Its position also makes traveling to other Eastern and Western regions of the world easy and convenient. Apart from overseas travel, the country also boasts of being well connected through its road network. It takes only one hour by road from Saudi Arabia, four hours to reach Kuwait and the commercial hub of Riyad from Bahrain. There are talks happening to complete the construction of a 40 km long ‘Friendship Causeway’, claimed to be one of the longest, between Qatar and Bahrain.
With so much to offer, it isn’t surprising that so many people move base to Bahrain every year.
About Megha Raizada
Megha Raizada is a professional writer working with the premium job portal Naukrigulf.com. She has a keen interest in the global job market, but also loves to keep a track of everything interesting happening around the globe. You can reach her at Twitter and Google+.
