Useful info for new residents

Here is a list of tips, links and phone numbers that newcomers to Bahrain will find useful. You might want to bookmark these links or print them out for easy reference.

General tips

Have a handful of dinars ready to pay your entry visa fee at the airport
Bring lots of passport sized photographs
Carry your CPR card at all times
Make sure you bring in or airfreight a few personal items in case your house move is delayed
If there’s a particular food item you absolutely can’t do without, bring it with you, otherwise enjoy sampling the local food
Buy a mobile phone as there are few public phones in residential areas
Take your cues from locals and dress appropriately: Women carry a shawl or scarf in case you need to cover up; men check if shorts and t-shirts are acceptable where you’re going
Take a tour early on to get a sense of the island
Keep lots of small coins and BD1 notes to hand: Often shops don’t have change

Newspapers and magazines

Gulf Daily News (http://www.gulf-daily-news.com)
Bahrain Tribune (http://www.bahraintribune.com)
Gulf Weekly (http://www.gulfweeklyworldwide.com)
Bahrain Confidential (http://www.arabianmagazines.com)
Bahrain This Month (http://www.bahrainthismonth.com)
Bahrain Traveler (http://www.bhtraveler.com)
Ohlala! (http://www.wedolotsofthings.com)
Woman This Month (http://www.womanthismonth.com)

Useful websites

Bahrain Portal for electronic government services (http://www.e.gov.bh)
Bahrain International Airport (http://www.bahrainairport.com)
Bahrain Tourism (http://www.bahraintourism.com)

Useful books

Culture Shock! Bahrain: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, by Harvey & Margaret Tripp (2004).
Bahrain: The Complete Resident’s Guide, lst Edition, Jashanmal Bookstores (2006).
Love, Life & Light of Bahrain, a three-book anthology based on the poetry of Qassim Haddad, with photography by Andrew Weaver, Manfred Erber and Mike Hill,
text by Allison Holmes; Miracle Graphics Publishing & Distribution, Manama, Bahrain.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar (Lonely Planet Regional Guides), by Gordon Robinson and Paul Greenway, Lonely Planet Publications, London (2000).
Regards Bahrain, by M. Barrault, Editions Michel Heiter, Vesoul, France (2001).
Now & Then - Bahrain, by J.J. Nowell, Our Earth Series Vol. IV, Zodiac Publishing, Dubai & Miracle Graphics Printing & Publishing, Bahrain (2001).
Bahrain Hands, Dal Al Warqoon Publishing & Distribution, Manama, Bahrain.

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