Bahrain top MidEast expat destination

Manama : Bahrain has been named the Middle East’s top destination for expatriates and ninth worldwide, according to the latest Expat Explorer report by Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation  (HSBC).
Bahrain was ranked first in the Middle East ahead of the UAE, which was placed 12th, and ninth globally behind top performer Singapore, “thanks in part to the relative ease with which expats are able to make new friends in the Gulf kingdom,” HSBC said.
“More than two in three (67 per cent) expats there agree that they found it easy compared with the global average of 52pc. This translates to the rest of the family, with four in 10 (42pc) expat parents saying their children find it easy to make friends too compared with the global average of 31pc. Overall, the UAE was placed 12th, ahead of Oman (18th), Qatar (29th), Saudi Arabia (31st) and Kuwait (35th),” Dubai-based Arabian Business magazine reported yesterday.
“Money was not at the forefront of expats’ decision to move to Bahrain as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all polled ahead of the country on economic considerations,” reported the publication.
Quoting the report, the magazine mentioned, “The Middle East remained an excellent destination for expats to improve their earnings, increase their savings and enjoy greater disposable income, despite the fact that all Middle Eastern countries (except Kuwait) slipped slightly in this year’s economics league table. Two countries, the UAE and Qatar, remain in the top 10 for economics in fifth and eighth place respectively, while three countries in the region (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman) were not rated in the top 10 countries this year for economic aspects.”
“This slight decline comes amid a global reduction in the price of oil, which has affected economies in the region. Expat confidence in the local economic outlook has fallen slightly in the Middle East to 52pc, down from 57pc last year. This is in line with the expat global average of 52pc,” the report said.
It added that “the proportion of expats in the Middle East who saw their disposable income increase after moving also declined slightly, from 67pc in 2015 to 63pc this year.”
According to the report, expats said the balance between their working and personal lives has improved, with 53pc saying they find it better than at home, up from 46pc last year.”
HSBC’s Expat Explorer 2016 report ranked Singapore, for the second year in a row, as the best place for foreign workers. It also ranked Bahrain in a high position when it comes to friendly countries for expats to live in last March.
It stated back then, “Bahrain is the world’s most attractive country for other nationalities, thanks to its business-friendly environment, welcoming society and co-existence of its citizens and residents.”