RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – President Jair Bolsonaro inaugurated today (16) in Manama the Brazilian Embassy in Bahrain. This is the first time that a Brazilian Head of State has visited this Middle Eastern country.
The two nations have maintained diplomatic relations since 1971, but until now, Brazilian interests have been represented by the embassy in Kuwait.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that creating its representation in the country will intensify commercial ties between the two nations. Currently, among Middle Eastern nations, the country ranks fourth in trade transactions with Brazil.
The creation of the embassy was defined in a decree signed by President Jair Bolsonaro. During the inauguration of the new Brazilian representation, the president said that there is excellent room for expanding business between Brazil and the Kingdom of Bahrain. He also stated that he was happy with the inauguration of the embassy, which is an essential step in the rapprochement between the two countries.
Bolsonaro also met with the King of Bahrain, Hamad Isa Bin Kalifa. He was received with a lunch at the Royal Palace and signed cooperation agreements in politics, culture, and sports.
LONGSTANDING RELATIONS
Bilateral relations have traditionally focused on the financial area. Bahrain is one of the biggest financial centers of the Middle East and Bahraini banks were the biggest Arabian creditors of Brazil in the 1980s and 1990s.
Brazil and Bahrain signed an MoU for the Establishment of Political Consultations between the foreign ministries of both countries on July 1st, 2018, in Manama. On that date, the first Political Consultation Meeting between Brazil and Bahrain took place.
BAHRAIN
Bahrain is located in the middle of the Persian Gulf, near countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. It is formed by 33 islands, which cover an area equivalent to half of the city of São Paulo.
It is a small but extremely wealthy country that plays an important role in the world economy, as it was the first nation to discover and explore oil in the Middle East, in the 1960s.
Currently, oil exploration accounts for 60% of Bahrain’s exports and 18% of the national Gross Domestic Product. The country is also investing in diversifying its economy by promoting industrial activity and financial services. Bahrain has the second-largest aluminum smelter in the world, accounting for 16% of the Kingdom’s exports last year.
The country also excels in steel production, and Brazil is the main supplier of iron ore to Bahrain.
The strong Bahraini economy means that the country has no poverty figures in surveys conducted by the United Nations and the World Bank. This scenario is attracting more and more foreigners who decide to work in the country.
Because of this migration, today, among the approximately 1.5 million inhabitants, there are many Pakistanis, Afghans, Indians, Americans, and British. Foreigners already account for 25% of the Bahraini population.
Another factor attracting new residents to Bahrain is the fact that the Muslim-majority country is considered one of the most liberal in the Middle East, despite still retaining religious traditions.
The largest population concentration is registered in the capital Manama, which brings together, side by side, modern Dubai-style buildings such as the Bahrain World Trade Center, and historical constructions.
The Bab Al Bahrein building, for example, once marked the entrance to the capital and today has become a tourist attraction, which serves as access to the country’s most traditional shopping center, with the millennial traditions of the Arab people. The Bab Al Bahrain was built in 1949, at the time when the country was still a British protectorate.
The Portuguese have also been in Bahrain since 1521. They occupied the region interested in taking advantage of the country’s strategic position to control trade and navigation in the Persian Gulf.
Independence was regained from Great Britain in 1971. Bahrain became an emirate and adopted a constitutional monarchy. Since 1999 King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has ruled the country.