Pray for Bahrain

Babylon, Greece, Rome, Persia, and the Arabs have all played their part in Bahraini history and culture. Known as a gateway between East and West, Bahrain has long served as a center of trade and commerce. Today, about half of its residents are foreign nationals, making it one of the Gulf’s most internationally diverse societies. While Bahrain finds its roots in Islam and most of its population is Muslim, religious life is more moderate there than in surrounding nations. Women’s faces are often unveiled, and foreign churches are relatively common. The first nation to discover oil in the Gulf, Bahrain has enjoyed many years of prosperity. Due to declining oil reserves, Bahrain has been forced to diversify, turning to petroleum processing and refining, as well as becoming an international banking center.

Since the eighteenth century, Bahrain has been ruled by the Sunni Al Khalifa royal family, creating a divide with the majority Shia citizen population over political representation. This tension peaked during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, which the government suppressed, leading to the dissolution of most major opposition groups. Today, severe limits on political opposition and freedom of expression persist, characterized by the prosecution of journalists, the detention of activists, and tightly restricted public demonstrations. Roughly half of Bahrain’s population consists of expatriate workers in industries like construction, healthcare, and domestic service. Although recent labor reforms have improved some conditions, many of these migrant workers continue to face exploitation and harsh working environments.

Exhibiting a greater sense of openness than many of its neighbors, the island country has welcomed a degree of Christian influence. Officially, more than 83 percent of the population claims Islam, while nearly 10 percent identifies as Christian — almost entirely expatriate. While foreign believers enjoy the freedom to worship across numerous established immigrant churches, proselytism to Muslims remains strictly illegal. Consequently, local Bahraini believers must practice their faith in secret under intense social pressure. Because the native people remain largely unreached, ministries are utilizing creative modern avenues to share the Gospel. In particular, online evangelism and digital discipleship initiatives continue to expand rapidly, building virtual spaces to safely reach, connect with, and mentor Arabic-speaking seekers and secret believers across the Gulf.