About Bahrain

Overview about the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Overview

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa

The King of the Kingdom of Bahrain

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

The Crown Prince and Prime Minister

Title	Details
National Day	December 16^th
Independence Day	August 15, 1971 (from the United Kingdom)
Government	Constitutional monarchy
Legislature	The National Council is composed of the Council of Representatives and the Shura Council
Population	Total population: 1,577,059 Bahrainis: 719,333 (46.1%) Non-Bahrainis: 785,03 (53.9%) According to 2023 statistics.
Location/ Area Size	Arabian Gulf Total area of the Kingdom of Bahrain: 8,269 square kilometres Land area: 786.8 square kilometers Territorial water area: 7,482.2 square kilometers According to 2022 statistics.
Capital	Manama
Governorates	Bahrain is divided into four governorates - the Capital, Muharraq, Northern and Southern
Languages	Arabic is the official language, while the English is the also one of the common languages used in the business sector
Religion	Islam is the official religion of the Kingdom and is embraced by the vast majority, and places of worship for followers of other religions are also available within the Kingdom
Currency	Bahraini Dinar BHD (Officially linked to the Dollar)
State Budget	Bahrain fiscal budget is planned for two years
Fixed Exchange Rate	1 Bahraini Dinar = 2.65 US Dollars
Business Hours	Work schedules in most Government Entities 07:00 AM - 14:15 PM (Sunday to Thursday) Banking and financial institutions & Private sector Regular working hours for retail baking are from 07:30 AM - 01:00 PM (Sunday to Thursday). Working hours in the evening vary depending on the bank or entity. While the working hours of most private sector institutions are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Post Offices Post offices are available within different regions of the Kingdom, and their working hours start from 07:00 AM - 02:00 PM (Saturday to Thursday) To view the working times for all post offices and public mailboxes, please visit Bahrain Post Services. Shopping Centers Shopping Centers operating times vary, but the Malls working hours are often between 10:00 am - 10:00 pm throughout the week. Some retail shops and shopping centers are closed on Fridays, and reopen after Friday prayers.
Official holidays	Weekly holidays: Friday and Saturday New year: 1 January Labour day: 1 May Eid Alfitr : 1, 2, 3 Shawwal (21, 22, 23 April 2023) Arafat day: 9 Dhu al-Hijjah (27 June 2023) Eid Aladha : 10, 11, 12 Dhu al-Hijjah (28, 29, 30 June 2023) Hijri new year: 1 Muharram (19 July 2023) Ashoora : 9, 10 Muharram (27, 28 July 2023) Prophet’s birthday: 12 Rabi Al-Awwal (27 September 2023) National Day: 16 & 17 December *Islamic holidays are subject to confirmation at the time Source: Ministry of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Waqf
Time zone	3 hours ahead of GMT (GMT+3)
Country Dialing Code	+973
Internet Code	.bh example: www.domainName.bh
International Airport	Bahrain International Airport (BAH)
Transportation	Buses are available as a means of public transportation. To view the Public Bus Schedule and Route Information, please visit the following link. Taxis are also widely available within the Kingdom.
Climate	Average temperature 28.5°Celisus The amount of precipitation is 13.4 mm Average relative humidity 55% Average hours of sunshine 10.4 hours/day Average wind speed is 8.8 knots Meteorogical Directorate