I spent time in both Bahrain and Dubai. The Kingdom of Bahrain is a tiny island on the Persian Gulf perched between the countries of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. It is made up of about 4 cities that seem to run together. Dubai is in the United Arab Emirates and is two countries over from Bahrain.
When I arrived in Bahrain I was overwhelmed at how beautifully unique it is. Lots of palm trees, very little grass, plenty of desert sand and lots of gulf water. The island is highly populated with several million people and the downtown buildings are gorgeous especially when lit up at night. My cousin and her husband picked me up at the airport in the city of Manama and we drove to their home. They are a middle class family with a live-in house keeper and a driver. Families over there sponsor people from other countries like the Philippines to come there and work for them. The laws are much different and they don’t pay as much as we would pay for services like that.
While I was in Bahrain I did some sight seeing – and there is a lot to see and do. But I also had a chance to observe some of their traditions and customs. For example – one night I went to a party where both men and women were invited. The men stayed in one location while the women partied in another. The women and girls socialized, ate and danced together. It was very festive. Bahraini women love to dance – at least this group did – and some of them even belly-danced. (Yes, I tried). But when the men were ready to enter the party we were told we needed to cover. As an American woman I did not have to cover but I did to follow along with their tradition. The women wear what’s called an abaya – which is a long black robe that covers all of their clothing and a scarf to cover their hair. Only a couple women covered their faces entirely. Once the men left, the women uncovered and went back to dancing. The only time I observed men and women dancing together was if they were of the same family. Not once did they eat together during the party.