Bahrain tops the rest as best for expats

It may come as a surprise to some, but it’s a fact – Bahrain is officially the best of the rest for expat professionals.

Given the problems now besetting expats in GCC states as a whole, Bahrain’s position in this year’s Expat Explorer survey as a great fit for expats and a median between Western and Eastern countries comes as a welcome change. The small Gulf state was rated outstanding for its settling in facilities and for working overseas in general, with its rating for expat families even higher than in previous years. It’s also the highest ranking location for expat women professionals.

The survey’s five parameters – ease of settling in, family life, working abroad, personal finance and quality of life – all saw positive responses, with 80 per cent of respondents saying fitting in with the local culture isn’t difficult. The same percentage was seen in the ‘feel at home’ category as well as the important ‘settling in’ sector, and making friends with Bahrainis as well as expats is also considered easy. The vast majority of expats who took the survey reported positivity as regards career prospects, with only six per cent of female expat professionals reacting negatively.

Importantly, Bahrain is now the only Gulf state in the entire region seen by expats as a haven for job stability. The main reasons given for relocating to the small state were finding a job, financial reasons and partner’s career. Bahrain’s also the only GCC nation rated outside the bottom 10 for its online freedom, an important aspect of business life for many expat professionals. Overall, Bahrain’s success in the survey gives it an upgrade as regards expat professional preferences over and above the other Gulf States.