MANAMA

Manama is the capital city of Bahrain. It’s situated on the northeastern coast of Bahrain. Manama is an important trading center in the Persian Gulf. It is the country’s economic, transportation, and cultural centre. Since the 19th century, Manama is known for its influence on the Persian Gulf region. It is famous for its mix of traditional and modern architecture such as the Al-Fateh Grand Mosque and Bahrain World Trade Centre.

According to the 2010 census, Manama had a population of 157,474. Due to its status as a financial hub in the Middle East, Manama is considered to be diverse with expatriates making up a majority of the population. When it comes to religious beliefs, Manama is predominantly Muslim. According to the data, 70.2% people in Manama identified themselves as Muslim. As a diverse city, Manama houses residents who speak multiple languages including Arabic, English, Hindi, Filipino, and Bengali.

Manama has always been a commercial city and today enjoys the status of being a financial hub in the Middle East. The city thrives in trade and commerce and has a vibrant culture steeped in commerce. It has a significant GDP, which is a major part of Bahrain's total GDP. The size of its economy is larger than that of several Middle Eastern nations.

Manama has taken positive steps with its infrastructure plan. The government of Bahrain has identified a range of infrastructure priorities for Manama, from new energy, water and sewerage infrastructure, to enhanced digital connectivity and new road schemes. Some of the investment is provided by the private sector, through the privatized utilities. This has generally worked well in Manama, although business is particularly concerned at the lack of capacity in digital infrastructure.

Manama is one of the most technologically advanced cities in the Middle East. It has a huge number of financial transactions that take place electronically each day through its financial services industry. Because Manama relies on its financial sector so much, it has invested heavily in its communications infrastructure, and continues to do so, under the auspices of its private IT sector and other partners, such as the government of Bahrain.