The music of Bahrain is part of the pan-Gulf khaleeji folk traditions. It is also known (alongside Kuwait) for sawt music, a bluesy genre influenced by African, Indian and Persian music. Sultan Hamid^{[disambiguation needed ]}, Ali Bahar and Khalid al Shaikh (a singer and oud player) are among the most popular musicians from Bahrain.

The band Bahraini Osiris has achieved some international renown since the 1980s with its style of progressive rock, most recently including elements of Bahraini folk music.

There is also a strong heavy metal and Hard rock community in the country, with many groups writing and performing original songs. The 3 main bands in the history of the community include thrash metal band Motör Militia, Black Metal band Smouldering in Forgotten and Death Metal band Lunacyst.

Modern music institutions in Bahrain include the Bahrain Music Institute, the Bahrain Orchestra and the Classical Institute of Music. The Bahraini male-only pearl diving tradition is known for the songs called fidjeri.

Bahrain ( pronunciation) (Arabic: ‏البحرين‎, al-Baḥrayn) (Persian: ‏بحرين‎, Baḥrain), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: مملكة البحرين‎,  Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn), is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,234,571, including 666,172 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.

Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands, the largest being Bahrain Island, at 55 km (34 mi) long by 18 km (11 mi) wide. Saudi Arabia lies to the west and is connected to Bahrain by the King Fahd Causeway. The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The planned Qatar Bahrain Causeway will link Bahrain and Qatar and become the world's longest marine causeway.

Known for its oil and pearls, Bahrain is also home to many large structures, including the Bahrain World Trade Center and the Bahrain Financial Harbour, with a proposal in place to build the 1,022 m (3,353 ft) high Murjan Tower. The Qal'at al-Bahrain (the harbour and capital of the ancient land of Dilmun) was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005. The Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit.

Afro-Arab (also African Arab)^{[when defined as?]} refers to people of mixed Black African and genealogical Arab ancestral heritage, and/or to linguistically and culturally Arabized Black Africans.^{[better source needed]} There are individuals and communities of Afro-Arabs in East Africa, West Africa, North Africa, the Near East and Western Europe.

"Afro-Arab" may also refer to the African Union's efforts to improve co-operation between African countries and those of the Arab world.

In the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, descendants of Black Africans from Tanzania and Zanzibar perform Liwa and Fann At-Tanbura music and dance. The mizmar is also performed by Afro-Arabs in the Hejaz region of Saudi Arabia.

In addition, stambali of Tunisia and gnawa music of Morocco are both ritual music/dances in part trace their origins to West African musical styles.