UAE: How Designers Redefine Abayas, Blend Heritage With Modernity
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The abaya has undergone a quiet yet powerful transformation. What was once ...
Watch in:
Join the Circle of Prayer This Month
Like its Middle Eastern neighbors, the desert island nation of Bahrain finds its identity in its Arab-Islamic roots. But, upon entering this Arabian gulf state, one will immediately notice a more relaxed and moderate atmosphere. Women’s faces are often unveiled, and churches for expatriate Christians are relatively common. With much exposure to other cultures’ influences (the labor force is 59% foreign), Bahrain has become more ethnically and religiously diverse. Overall, Bahrain enjoys a greater openness to modernization and westernization than surrounding gulf nations.
The cultures of Babylon, Greece, Rome, Persia, and the Arabs have all played their part in Bahraini history. Known as the gateway between the East and West, Bahrain continues to draw people from around the world. It is truly a land of contrasts, with its modern and drastic skylines juxtaposed with ancient architecture. The first nation to discover oil within the gulf, Bahrain has enjoyed many years of prosperity. Due to decreasing oil amounts, though, Bahrain has been forced to diversify and has turned to petroleum processing and refining as well as becoming an international banking center. The supreme political authority comes from the King. Great tensions and even civil unrest have resulted from the conflict between the Sunni Muslim ruling family and Shia Muslim majority. Protests directed at the Bahraini government erupted in 2011 as Arabs throughout the region spoke out against their leaders and plight.
Bahrain sits in a strategic position among Arab gulf nations. With a greater sense of freedom, Bahrain has opened its doors to some Christian influence. Proselytism remains illegal, though, and local Christians struggle to freely practice their faith, some worshipping in secret. But with religious freedom for expatriate believers, one will find quite a few churches within these borders. With 83.2% of the population claiming to follow Islam and 9.8% claiming Christianity (predominantly foreigners), Bahrain still remains desperately in need of the Gospel.
1,566,888
77.6%
1,566,888
77.6%
5:08 PM
97°F
Manama
Constitutional Monarchy
Arabic, English, Farsi, Urdu
$57,200
98%
Data sources.
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The abaya has undergone a quiet yet powerful transformation. What was once ...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) As marine life around the world faces steep decline, Dubai is turning to la...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) In just the first five months of 2025, 13 lives were lost in Dubai due to e...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Cybercriminals today are more sophisticated than ever. They're not just rel...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The boards of Housing Development Finance Corp and HDFC Bank on Friday appr...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Question : I work in a private company in Dubai. My weekly off is on Wednes...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) India's largest private sector bank – HDFC Bank, and UAE based financial ...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) The UAE Jiu-Jitsu national team is preparing to compete at the 2025 edition...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) As a ten-year-old, Dubai resident Blaine Tagudena was bullied regularly by ...
(MENAFN - Khaleej Times) Young, urban women in Afghanistan are increasingly ditching the all-envelop...