Tattooing in Bahrain: Practising of the controversial art

Tattoos have become a controversial matter that split the opinions of people in Bahrain and other Middle Eastern nations during recent years, with a big segment of the society rejecting it, as they consider it an unwanted fad, while a growing number of individuals support it and consider it a personal freedom that mustn’t be waived.

With health, social and religious concerns raised by the objectors of such trends, the practice of tattooing remains an unknown term in the Bahraini laws, with no explicit text authorising or prohibiting it.

According to reports, those who practice it utilise their residences to receive clients, without any supervision from the authorities or a legislation to regulate the profession.

In recent years, some conservative MPs attempted to criminalise the practice by introducing a number of proposed laws that ban tattooing in Bahrain, but such attempts weren’t fruitful as the majority of lawmakers didn’t approve them.

Tribune recently spoke to a former Bahraini tattoo artist, who preferred to maintain his anonymity, saying that he has “started a new life,” after finding it difficult to practice the art. “That chapter of my life is over”, said the artist who was in the tattooing field for more than a decade.

 As a talented painter, drawing on bodies grabbed his attention and he was more interested in it. This motivated him to take a two-year training course at a special tattooing institute there, so he could be certified to practice tattooing and learn more about the profession.

“Time has changed and tattoos have gained more popularity in the Kingdom, the entire GCC and the Middle East region, which strongly rejected the idea in earlier years due to religious, social and health concerns,” he said.