‘Sixty-one percent of expat population happy with life in Bahrain’

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Sixty-one per cent of expatriate population in Bahrain are happy with their lives, according to a leading survey, which has placed the Kingdom among the best nations in the world for expatriates. 

Bahrain comes 15th out of 52 destinations in the Expat Insider 2022 survey released recently. The survey by InterNations reveals the best and worst destinations for living and working abroad. 

While the country has satisfactory results for Quality of Life (23rd) and Working Abroad (30th), it performs very well when it comes to the Ease of Settling In (12th), the survey says.    

With nearly 12,000 respondents, it is one of the most extensive surveys about living and working abroad, providing insights into expat life in 52 destinations. The survey offers in-depth information on expats’ satisfaction with the Quality of Life, Ease of Settling In, Working Abroad, and Personal Finance in their respective country of residence. 

For the first time, the ranking also includes the new Expat Essentials Index, which covers digital life, admin topics, housing, and language. 

Mexico (1st), Indonesia, and Taiwan make up the top three destinations, and they all rank very well in the Ease of Settling In and Personal Finance Indices. On the other hand, the bottom three destinations, Kuwait, New Zealand, and Hong Kong, all perform poorly in terms of personal finances for expats. 

Ranking 15th out of 52 destinations overall, Bahrain comes out on top in the new Expat Essentials Index (1st). Dealing with administrative issues can be a pain when you move abroad, but expats in Bahrain have no trouble with such topics, voting the country second in this subcategory. 

Expats find it easy to open a local bank account (85pc vs. 64pc globally), deal with local bureaucracy (67pc vs. 40pc globally), and obtain a visa before moving there (70pc vs. 56pc globally), the survey says. 

The Housing (10th) and Language (4th) Subcategories are further highlights in this index. Over four in five expats (82pc) report that it is easy to find housing in Bahrain (vs. 54pc globally), and the same share finds it easy to live there without speaking the local language (vs. 51pc globally). That is helpful, since just 28pc of expats find the latter easy to learn (vs. 41pc globally), it adds. 

The Ease of Settling In Index (12th) is another high point for expats in Bahrain. The majority feels that making local friends is easy (57pc vs. 42pc globally). Respondents describe the local population as generally friendly towards foreign residents (77pc vs. 65pc globally), helping place Bahrain tenth in the Local Friendliness Subcategory.  

However, just 4pc of expats are mainly friends with local residents (vs. 17pc globally). Another 60pc describe their friends and acquaintances as a fairly mixed group (vs. 49pc globally), and 37pc mainly spend time with other expats (vs. 33pc globally). An expat from Kyrgyzstan was quoted by the survey, saying “meeting with people around Bahrain and sharing each other’s experiences” is a highlight of her life abroad. 

Bahrain only narrowly misses out on a top 10 spot in the Culture and Welcome Subcategory (11th). And indeed, 75pc of expats say that it is easy to get used to the local culture (vs. 62pc globally), and 70pc feel welcome in Bahrain (vs. 66pc globally). “It is very easy to integrate,” says an expat from Malaysia. “I do not feel like a stranger here.”