IX.  BUSINESS TRAVEL

Business Customs

Personal contact, frequently renewed, is key to doing business successfully in
Bahrain.  Visiting businessmen should be prepared to spend a portion of any
business calls on socializing and on getting to know their counterparts,
although in general the atmosphere is more time-oriented and "businesslike"
than in other countries of the region.


Visas and Travel Advisories

Visiting Americans many obtain visas upon arrival at the Bahrain International
Airport after paying the applicable fee for a 72-hour or seven day visa.  To
avoid possible delays if there is a long line at the airport visa counter, a
visa should be obtained in advance from a Bahraini Embassy, if convenient.  An
Israeli entry stamp in a passport in no longer a bar to obtaining a Bahraini
visa or to entering Bahrain, but not all international airline personnel are
aware that the former prohibition no longer applies.  Bahrain's weekend is
essentially Thursday and Friday, with most government offices operating
Saturday through Wednesday.  Most companies operate full days Saturday through
Wednesday plus half-days on Thursday.  Employees of offshore financial
institutions often follow a more Western work week.


Holidays

The following are Bahraini holidays from August, 1994 through December, 1995:

August 18, 1994:      Prophet's Birthday
December 16, 1994:    National Day
January 1, 1995:      New Year's Day
March 2 - 4, 1995:    Eid Al Fitr
May 9 - 11, 1995:     Eid Al Adha
May 29, 1995:         Islamic New Year
June 8 - 9, 1995:     Ashoora
August 7, 1995:       Prophet's Birthday
December 16, 1995:    National Day


Language

Nearly everyone a business traveler is likely to have to deal with speaks at
least some English, and Bahraini government officials and businessmen are
usually fluent in the language.  Hotel accommodations are excellent, with a
large choice of 5-star hotels.  All hotels are equipped with reliable phone
and telefax service, and many hotels also provide news agency and business
wire services.


Transportation

Rental cars are readily available (an international driving license is
recommended), and cabs are easy to find in downtown Manama.  There is also a
reliable telephone taxi service (telephone 682-999) for return transportation
from less central locations.  Health standards are good, and there is a wide
range of safe restaurants available, from an array of ethnic restaurants to
well-known U.S. fast-food chains such as Dairy Queen, Kentucky Fried Chicken,
and Harden's.