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HORSING AROUND
The best horse riders in the Gulf are getting ready for the royal event of the year, His Majesty The King’s Cup. The region’s most impressive showjumping event takes place at the Mounted Police Centre in Budaiya, 5-6 February.
For more info, tel +973 1783 6199.
WHAT TO DO
RAW POWER
One of Australia’s biggest sporting events launches its 2010 season in the Gulf
THIS MONTH sees the Gulf Air Desert 400 V8 Supercars Champions Series kick off with a double-header in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. This is big news for the Gulf region, not only because it’s the first time the V8 Supercar season has opened outside Australia – and the first time back-to-back races have been held outside the southern hemisphere – but also because V8 Supercars provide some of the best racing on the planet.
If Formula One is a delicate fencing battle between foil-wielding artists, V8 Supercar racing is a bar-room brawl – tough, brutal and adrenaline-fuelled.
Where the aerodynamic trickery of F1 cars makes it almost impossible for them to run close together at speed, the V8 Supercars race wheel-to-wheel, mirror-to-mirror – two dozen cars bashing bumpers and swapping paint at speeds of up to 300kph. It makes for spectacular, white-knuckle racing, a test of which driver can hold his nerve as cars plough three abreast towards tight hairpin corners.
As in F1, the cars are powered by eight-cylinder engines, but the similarities end there: where the F1 car’s powerplants are tiny, the V8 gets a giant five-litre engine. V8 Supercars are noisy, brawny beasts wrestled into submission by noisy, brawny drivers.
Their shapes are closely based on two Aussie road-going saloons: the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore. The Ford-versus-Holden rivalry divides Australia on race weekends, and is defended with a near-religious fervour. The rivalry reaches a climax at the Bathurst 1000, a six-hour, 1,000km endurance trial. Known as the Great Race, it is one of Australia’s biggest sporting events, attended by around 300,000 rowdy spectators. Bahrain’s Supercar race promises to be every bit as intense, so choose your side – Ford or Holden – brush up on some Aussie slang and get involved. And don’t forget your earplugs. Sam Philip writes for Top Gear magazine
THOSE RACE DATES 18-20 Feb Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 25-27 Feb Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain
FEBRUARY AT THE BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
The big noise this month is the Desert 400 event, which takes place the weekend of 25-27 February. The centrepiece attraction is the Gulf Air Desert 400 V8 Supercars Champions Series (see p99), but that is not the only race. On the Thursday the BIC will welcome the GP2 Asia series as the official support race for the touring V8 Supercars. The Kingdom will be hosting the last two rounds of the championship, which aims to promote Asian motorsport drivers. Being the primary feeder for F1, the series has gathered a large fan base. With two races, reverse grids, compulsory pit-stops and identical cars that set the track ablaze, this is a must-watch for any racing fan.
Another support race over the Desert 400 weekend will be Bahrain’s home-bred series, the Batelco 2000cc Challenge, which returns for its fifth round at the BIC. The race sees highly modified Hondas, Fords and BMWs battle it out to get closer to the title. Established drivers such as Mustafa Al-Khan, Shaikh Hamad Bin Isa AlKhalifa, Abdulrahman Ghuloom and Shaikh Salman Bin Isa Al-Khalifa will be revving their engines on the starting line.
Also in February, the second season of the Bahrain National Karting Championship will have races on 4, 10 and 18 February. The event sees drivers from a variety of nationalities square off over more than 50 competitions.
Bahrain International Cirrcuit, Gulf of Bahrain Avenue, Umm Jidar, www.bahraingp.com
LISTINGS
BOWLING
Bowling is big news in Bahrain, and one of the most popular places to play is at Funland. They take the game seriously here, with regular tournaments. There are 18 lanes, so you can keep your distance from the professionals if you prefer. Non-members pay BD1 during the day and BD1.5 in the evening. Al-Fateh Hwy, Hoora, tel +973 1729 2313. Open 9am-late daily
FISHING
It’s possible to organise motorboat fishing trips through the Ritz-Carlton. Choose from a morning or afternoon at sea, or book a whole day. Equipment is provided. For more information, tel +973 1758 0000.
GOLF
Host to tournaments including the Gulf Air International Pro-Captain Challenge and the annual IADC Golf Day, Bahrain’s Royal Golf Club is also open to amateurs. There are floodlights on the driving range, the Wee Monty Academy Course and the back nine holes of the Montgomerie Championship course so players can avoid the daytime heat. There’s also a golf shop with products from the world’s leading suppliers. On 13 February there will be a Junior Elite Competition, followed by the Valentine’s Day Ball. Riffa Views, tel +973 1775 0777, www.theroyalgolf. club.com. Open 7.30am-11pm daily
SPA
For the ultimate in hedonistic pleasure, head south into the desert for the Middle East’s largest spa and one of the world’s most extensive hydrothermal gardens. The Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort offers a whole range of award-winning therapies, as well as a fantastic garden hammam. It also boasts a top-class restaurant and luxury accommodation in the form of 78 Arabian-style villas.
Banyan Tree, Al-Areen, tel +973 1784 5000, www.banyantree.com. Open 10am-10pm daily
SWIMMING
If you don’t fancy the hyperactivity of the waterpark (see below), the swimming pool at the Sheraton Hotel is open to non-guests. Access costs 250 fils per day and includes use of the separate men’s and women’s gyms, the spa, the sauna and the steam room. There’s also a temperature-controlled outdoor jacuzzi. Sheraton Hotel, Palace Avenue, www.starwood. hotels.com. Open 7am-9.30pm daily
WATERPARK
Recently opened at City Centre Mall, Wahoo! is the Gulf’s first indoor/ outdoor waterpark. It is designed as a tropical island and comes complete with a range of attractions for all ages. Younger customers can enjoy the timid wave pool and lazy river. For older children, rides guaranteed to elicit blood-curdling screams include the Master Blaster, a roller-coaster that propels you up and down for a 230m stretch and then deposits you into a pool.
City Centre Mall, Seef district, www.wahooo. com.bh. Open 10am-10pm daily
1-8 FEB TABLE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
Some of the best young table tennis players from 15 countries are gathering in the Kingdom. The Bahrain Junior Open Table Tennis Championship is taking place from 1 to 8 February at the Bahrain Gulf Finance Hall. The participants are also fighting for a place in the Youth Olympics.
WHAT TO SEE
A LIFE IN PIECES
Julia Stuart meets a once-nomadic artist now happily settled in Bahrain
LEBANESE ARTIST
Camille Zakharia sees a virtue in obsession. “I don’t think you can excel without being obsessive,” says Zakharia, an engineer who gets up at 4am to fit in his artwork before his day job. It was an obsession with photographing the painted lines of parking bays that resulted in him being shortlisted for last year’s prestigious Jameel Prize, an international award launched by London’s Victoria & Albert Museum to recognise contemporary artists and designers inspired by Islamic traditions of craft and design. One of the works he submitted has just been accepted as part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Four pieces from the Markings series are included in a major retrospective of his work currently showing at the Bin Matar House in Muharraq (see Listings, opposite). The exhibition features photo collages created over the last 15 years, reflecting the artist’s itinerant life. Since leaving Lebanon in 1985 he has lived in the US, Greece, Turkey, Canada and now Bahrain.
Of particular poignancy is his series of playing cards, whose suits are denial, solitude, love and home. Denial bears images of America, which was the first place he moved to from Lebanon. Solitude has images of Greece, where he felt lonely. Love features images of Bahrain, where he has spent 15 happy years. Home has images of Canada, which gave him citizenship and security. “When you put all the cards together there’s a beautiful story,” he says. The backs of the cards bear fragments of letters from his mother, which tell warm, personal stories of everyday life in Lebanon.
Also in the exhibition are three works from his Assembling Places series, featuring reinterpretations of urban landscapes.
All three bear images of historic houses in Muharraq that are no longer standing.
Cultivate your Garden is a six-metre collage of all the places Zakharia has lived since leaving Beirut. “It tells a story and is composed of thousands of pieces from 130 negatives,” he says. “You see Beirut in the background, with scars on the buildings, and the different countries where I have lived in the foreground.”
As well as portraits of artists of Arab origin, there are three works from Zakharia’s Elusive Homelands series – portraits of Middle Eastern immigrants who moved to Canada. “They represent the nomadic way of life that many of us, particularly in recent history, have gone through,” he says.
A number of Zakharia’s exquisite artist’s books are also on display at the exhibition. They contain studies for particular works or simply spare pieces of photographs that he wanted to put to artistic use. “I do so many studies and reflections, and there is a lot of wastage with collage,” he says. “But I don’t like to throw anything out, so I made use of them. Now the books have become objects to be viewed in themselves, although they were never meant to be exhibited.”
Camille Zakharia: Chaos into Order is at the Bin Matar House
LISTINGS
GALLERIES
Albareh Art Gallery Albareh hosts three exhibitions this month. Iraq: Two Faces (until 5 February) brings together the work of two Iraqi artists trying to paint a new picture of their homeland. From 17 February, Albareh showcases the work of Sudanese artist Mohammad Omar Khalil in an exhibition called Paolo Ucello, The Battle of San Romano. In the café next door, Chair and Painting will be showing from 14 February. This collective exhibition brings together 10 artists from around the Arab world, who have each produced a canvas and a chair.
Adliya, tel +973 3906 9016, www.albareh.com. Open 7am-2pm Sun-Thu, 9am-4pm Sat
Al-Riwaq Gallery
Having just undergone extensive renovation, Al-Riwaq relaunches on 15 February with a focus on Bahraini photographer Abdullah Al-Khan. His extensive picture archive will be on display, with rarely seen images of Bahrain through the decades, from 1930 right up to the present day. Adliya, tel +973 1771 7441, www.alriwaqgallery.org. Open 10am-9pm Sat-Thu
Bin Matar House
This former family home in Muharraq opened last year following restoration. Built in 1905, it was the permanent majlis of Salman Hussein Bin Matar, one of Bahrain’s most prominent pearl merchants. Today the house is home to a permanent exhibition on the pearling industry, plus contemporary Bahraini art shows. Chaos into Order by Lebanese artist Camille Zakharia (see left) runs until 20 February.
Muharraq, tel +973 1732 2549
La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art
Fatima Alireza has turned her beautiful 150-year-old family home in the heart of Manama into, among other things, a highly respected gallery with regular exhibitions. At the time of going to press there were no shows planned for February, but the centre is still worth visiting for its superb restaurant. Hoora Avenue, Manama, tel +973 1723 0123, www.. lafontaineartcentre.net. Open 10am-6pm Tue-Sun
MUSEUMS
Bahrain National Museum
Nine separate exhibition halls detail Bahrain’s history, growth and development. The museum also hosts temporary exhibitions; showing until 12 February is Palestine, Creativity in All Its States, which brings together work by close to 20 Palestinian artists. The show transfers from the Arab World Institute in Paris. Also opening this month is Investing in Culture, a multimedia exhibition examining issues of Bahraini cultural identity. King Faisal Highway, tel +973 1729 8777.
Open 8am-8pm daily
House of the Quran
Beit Al-Quran offers a unique view of the Islamic holy book. It exhibits examples dating from the eighth century AD to the present day, gathered from all over the Muslim world.
The oldest and rarest, written in the first 100 years of Islam, is simply a fragment of a page; among the most curious are a grain of rice and a split chickpea bearing Quranic verses. Manama, tel +973 1729 0101. Open 8.30am-12.30pm, 4-6pm Sat-Wed;
8.30am-12.30pm Thu
SIGHTSEEING Aali
This village in the centre of the island is home to the Royal Tombs. It’s thought they’re the last resting place of ancient kings and queens. Aali is also famous for its pottery workshops.
Al-Areen Wildlife Sanctuary
A conservation area for some of the Arabian peninsula’s native species, like the Arabian oryx. It also houses hundreds of other animal and bird species from around the world. Sakhir, tel +973 1783 6116
King Fahd Causeway
This 24km bridge linking Bahrain with Saudi Arabia has a fine viewing platform located at its midway point.
Great Mosque
Al-Fateh Mosque is one of the largest in the world, capable of accommodating over 7,000 worshippers. Free tours are available. King Faisal Highway, Juffair
Manama Souq
At the heart of the Kingdom is Bab AlBahrain, a gateway erected in 1945 where the shoreline stood before land reclamation set in. The gate acts as the entrance to the souq.
Muharraq
Hidden behind ornately carved wooden doors in a maze of whitewashed alleyways, the restored houses of Muharraq (the neighbourhood near the airport) are one of Bahrain’s most intriguing attractions. There are currently around a dozen homes open to visitors. Highlights include the majestic 200-year-old Shaikh Isa Bin Ali House and Bin Matar House
26-28 FEB BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL GARDEN SHOW
The Kingdom’s biggest ever flower show takes place at the end of February, with more than 20,000 visitors expected. As well as a range of plants and flowers from around the world, the latest garden technology and equipment will be on display. Essential accessories for gardeners will be on sale, and experts will be available to offer advice. The show takes place at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, Halls 1 and 2. www.bigs.com.bh
BAHRAIN BY NIGHT
Ask locals where to go for the best nightlife and the answer will be Aqua Fuego in the Days Hotel (+973 3947 7964). During the week the venue is known as the flame-coloured Fuego, but at the weekend it transforms into the decidedly bluer Aqua club. Also popular is TaBu in the Phoenicia Tower (+973 1731 1666), which plays an eclectic variety of music. Trader Vic’s, the Polynesian-themed bar and restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton (+973 1758 6555), is still a firm favourite for all ages, and with good reason. There is outdoor seating in a water garden, and a gold minidressclad all-female band playing excellent Latin grooves. For more relaxed lounge sounds, try the sumptuous bar at hip Japanese eatery Bushido (+973 1758 3555).
WHERE TO EAT
BIGGER IS BETTER
Julia Stuart says ‘super-size me’ and gets to sample Bahrain’s ultimate burger
WHEN TWO French chefs at Bahrain’s Ritz-Carlton put their heads together to come up with a new signature dish for Plums, the hotel’s steak restaurant, they produced a burger costing US$127 (BD48). It’s quite a sum considering Bahrain’s most-loved fast food, the noble shawarma, costs just over a dollar a pop.
The Wow Burger is the creation of Gérald Genson, Plum’s chef de cuisine, and David Gache, the hotel’s executive chef. It consists of 300g of Japanese Wagyu beef (hence the price), topped with pan-fried foie gras. “In France we have a dish that is beef tenderloin with foie gras on top, which is amazing,” says Genson. “We thought, ‘Let’s try it with a burger’.”
The dish, which is also served in the lobby for those who can’t wait for Plums to open in the evening, includes a caramelised onion and porcini mushroom compote (the onions take two hours to cook) and Périgueux sauce, a classic of French cuisine made with truffles from the Périgord region.
It comes with Ratte potatoes, known for their distinctive nutty, buttery taste. “We bake them in the oven with garlic, thyme and olive oil,” Genson explains. “When they’re cooked we cut them in half and pan-fry them to make deluxe potato wedges.”
So does the Wow Burger live up to its name? Gosh, yes.
Rich, succulent and accompanied by an unforgettable sauce, it is astonishingly good. “Once customers have tasted it, they always say it was worth the price,” says Genson.
See Top Tables for listing details for Plums
TOP TABLES
Gulf Life’s pick of the best dining in Bahrain
$$$$$ Super expensive
$$$$ Expensive
$$$ Moderate
$$ Cheap
$ A Bargain
BUSHIDO
$$$$
A temple-like restaurant set in a water garden with an interior stuffed full of glistening samurai body armour – guess what’s on the menu? Visit for sushi and sashimi, both traditional and with a twist, as well as teppanyaki, and poultry, meat, seafood and vegetarian mains. The quality of the dishes can be variable: starter skewers of scallops and an order of prawn tempura were a bit of a let-down, but mains of grilled black cod with cod roe sauce and tenderloin teppanyaki were terrific. The luxurious first-floor lounge bar is a hugely popular cocktail venue. Road 38, Block 428, Seef district, Manama, tel +973 1758 3666, www.buddha-bar.com. Open noon-3pm, 7-11.30pm (lounge
1.30am) daily
CAFÉ LILOU
$$
The Al-Ghalia group is behind some of Bahrain’s most fashionable venues, including Mezzaluna, Monsoon and Zoë, all in the Adliya neighbourhood. Lilou is the most casual of the bunch, a light, bright barn of a place with decor that’s part French baroque, part circus big top. The menu is largely made up of Gallic classics presented with Levantine twists. We particularly like the mini coussins au boeuf – bitesized beefburgers served with cheese, balsamic mayonnaise, fries and green salad. Opt for crêpes, chocolate cake or crème brûlée for dessert, or choose an indulgence from the patisserie counter.
Adliya, tel +973 1771 4440, www.alghalia.com. Open 8am-11pm Sat-Thu, 10am-11.30pm Fri
KEN LO’S MEMORIES OF CHINA
$$$$
The late Ken Lo, an international authority on Chinese cuisine, founded the original Memories of China in London back in 1980; the Bahrain outpost opened just last year. Chinese is a vast and varied cuisine, and Memories does its best to cover as many regional specialties as possible, including some great spicy fare from the Szechuan province, plus Cantonese-style dim sum.
Adliya, Manama, tel +973 1771 7080. Open noon-3pm, 7pm-midnight daily
LA FONTAINE
$$$
Set in a beautifully renovated old house, La Fontaine is one of the island’s leading art galleries (see p103).
It also has a suitably gorgeous restaurant that spills out into the central courtyard and around the titular fountain. The excellent kitchen serves a menu that places an emphasis on local produce and traditional Bahraini food, all prepared by one of the Kingdom’s few native professional chefs. 92 Hoora Avenue, Manama, tel +973 1723 0123, www.lafontaineartcentre. net. Open noon-3pm (lunch), 3-6pm (high tea),
7.30-10.30pm Tue-Sun
LAYALI ZAMAN
$
This is the place to come for fresh, local food with sea views. If it’s cool enough, bag one of the tables on the terrace, where turquoise waters shimmer beyond the flower bed. There are traditional grills, salads, pasta and sandwiches on offer. Try the whole grilled fish, which comes with pickled carrots, or if you haven’t eaten for a week, attempt the koshari – macaroni, lentils, chickpeas and caramelised onions. Al-Fateh Corniche, tel +973 1729 3097. Open 10am-4am daily
MEZZALUNA
$$$$
The restaurant that started the Adliya dining boom is still one of the best. It boasts a French head chef, Olivier Pallut, who oversees a menu of beautifully done modern standards ranging from lobster bisque with caviar ravioli to casserole of quail and wild mushroom pot-au-feu. The menu changes regularly. If the main dining room seems a little austere for your tastes, you can always ask to be seated in one of the private booths that ring the room.
Adliya, tel +973 1774 2999, www.alghalia.com. Open 6-11.30pm daily
MIRAI
$$$$
In less capable hands it could be a disaster, but the kitchen at Mirai successfully fuses Japanese, Italian and French cuisines. The results include a terrific shrimp popcorn (shrimp in tempura batter) and the restaurant’s excellent signature dish, kalbi gim, which is a Korean/ Japanese fusion of slow-braised beef short ribs served with a ginger, apple and soya sauce. Adliya, tel +973 1771 3113, www.mirai-restaurant. com. Open noon-2.30pm, 7-11pm daily
PLUMS
$$$$$
This excellent steak restaurant gets its name because great use is made of the eponymous fruit in the kitchen, especially in the signature dishes. Starters include oysters and duck foie gras, and mains range from surf and turf to braised lamb shank. Plums is best known for its US prime, Australian gold Angus and Japanese Wagyu beef; the Wow Burger – 300g of Wagyu beef, pan-fried foie gras, truffle sauce, and caramelised onion and porcini mushroom compote – will set you back US$127 plus tax and service charge. Wow indeed. Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Seef, tel +973 1758 0000, www.ritzcarlton.com. Open 7pm until late Mon-Sat
LE RELAIS DE VENISE
$$$
There’s only one thing on the menu here: steak frites. This is a franchise of the Paris institution. All the branches – in Paris, London, Barcelona and Manama – are kitted out the same way, right down to the knives and forks. The steak arrives in two halves (the second is kept warm nearby), pre-sliced and bathed in a dark, rich, spicy sauce. Both servings come with golden fries, cooked to perfection. This is affordable, high-quality cuisine served in bountiful portions. L’Hotel, Seef district, Manama, tel +973 1756 7222, www.lhotelbahrain. com. Open noon-3.30pm, 7-11.30pm daily
SAFFRON
$$$$
Saffron is the house restaurant of the exclusive Banyan Tree resort, the island’s most beautiful retreat, which is down in Al-Areen. It sits at the centre of a body of water and is accessed by a bridge, with the desert stretching away in the background – a total fantasy setting. The food is contemporary Thai and is excellent. It may not be the easiest place to get to, but this is one of the finest dining experiences in the Kingdom.
Banyan Tree Desert Spa & Resort, Al-Areen, tel +973 1784 5000, www.banyantree.com. Open 6.30-11pm daily
SATO
$$$$
This ever-popular Japanese restaurant is definitely the place to book if you want to impress someone. Sit in one of the teppanyaki rooms and watch pure culinary theatre unfold as the chef juggles ingredients and utensils, and catches eggs on the top of his hat. The food is just as captivating.
Gulf Hotel, Manama, tel +973 1774 6429, www.gulfhotel.bahrain. com. Open noon-3pm, 7-11pm daily
THAILAND
$$
Don’t let the bland exterior put you off – kick off your shoes, sit down at one of the sunken tables upstairs and feast on a wide range of fresh, invigorating and thoroughly excellent Thai and Chinese food. Opt for the tom yum soup or papaya salad as a starter, followed by split steamed prawns in garlic, lemongrass and ginger, and sticky rice with mango for dessert, and you won’t go wrong. Friendly staff in traditional garb appear at the press of a button. Adliya, tel +973 1771 7040. Open noon-3pm, 6pm-midnight daily
THE SKY CHEF* RECOMMENDS
SKY CHEF MOHAMMED AL-NASSER
“One of my favourite places to eat is Roma (+973 1772 5885) in Umm Al-Hassam. It’s the best Italian restaurant in town. The chef is Egyptian, but he used to live in Europe. It’s difficult to pick one dish, as they’re all great, but I particularly like the ravioli and the spaghetti pesto, and the tiramisu is wonderful. It’s a small, romantic place, and there’s a really good Russian singer.
“I also love Trader Vic’s (+973 1758 6555) at the Ritz-Carlton. I always have the beef tenderloin – it’s cooked in a clay oven, and it’s really juicy and tender. For dessert I have the banana flambé. They flame it in front of you. I like to eat it with vanilla ice cream, which you have to order as the dish doesn’t come with it. The atmosphere is really lively, with a band playing Latino music, and people shout to be heard. All the ministries and rich guys go there. You can also sit outside by the water garden if you want something more quiet and romantic.” Interview by Julia Stuart
BUSINESS
ALL ABOARD
Construction starts this year on a new causeway linking Bahrain and Qatar. Digby Lidstone
FOR THOSE WITH time and money to spare, the journey by train from Paris to Manama is the trip of a lifetime. What better way to sample the bazaars of Istanbul and the souqs of Aleppo? What could be more romantic than admiring the desert from the luxury of a dining car?
Of course, this is little more than a fantasy at the moment, but early next year the Trans-Arabian Express will come a step closer to being a reality when work begins on a new causeway linking Bahrain and Qatar. Besides a dual carriageway, the 40km-long bridge will support two rail lines. From 2015 onwards, Bahrain will be linked by train not only to its neighbour but also to a rail network connecting the Mediterranean to the Gulf.
The Friendship Bridge, as the project is being called, has spent a long time on the drawing board. Originally conceived in 1999, the world’s longest marine causeway poses numerous engineering challenges, from the soft mud on which it will be built to the sheer scale of the structure. Designs have flitted to and fro between Danish architects COWI and the international consortium of contractors charged with building the bridge.
The railway has added yet another layer of complexity to the project. When the governments of Qatar and Bahrain decided in March to include twin train tracks, the designers were left scratching their heads. The bridge has to rise gradually to 40m in height to allow shipping to pass under, yet most trains cannot climb even this gentle 3% gradient. The solution? Simply tack on another 7km.
This decision will add another US$1 billion to the already hefty $3 billion price tag, but Bahrain and Qatar clearly feel the Friendship Bridge is worth the cost. As the name suggests, the causeway symbolises a recent détente between the two neighbours, who were for decades at loggerheads over ownership of the Hawar Islands, which lie between Bahrain and the Qatari peninsula.
When the International Court of Justice solved that problem in 2001 (Bahrain got the islands, Qatar some fishing grounds), work on the bridge could begin.
The causeway also makes good economic sense. The road trip from Doha to Manama, via Saudi Arabia and the existing bridge that links Bahrain to the Saudi mainland, currently takes more than five hours. The Friendship Bridge will slash that time to just 30 minutes. Bahrain hopes its cheaper rents, better-trained workforce and more liberal investment environment will inspire commuters and services doing business with Qatar to set up shop on the west side of the new bridge.
Then there is the railway. Six Gulf governments have committed to building a 1,500km railway running from Kuwait in the north to Oman in the south. This in turn will be connected to the Red Sea by a new railway, the Landbridge, being built by Saudi Arabia. And with Jordan, Syria and Saudi Arabia looking at ways of reviving the old Hejaz Railway, which once connected Turkey with the holy city of Medina, the idea of catching the slow train to Manama might not be so far-fetched after all.
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