Bahrain

Bahrain (ⁱ/bɑːˈreɪn/; Arabic: البحرين‎  al-Baḥrayn), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain (Arabic: مملكة البحرين‎  Mamlakat al-Baḥrayn), is a small island country situated near the western shores of the Persian Gulf in the Middle East. It is an archipelago with Bahrain Island, the largest land mass, 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 while Iran lies 200 km (124 mi) to the north across the Persian Gulf. The peninsula of Qatar is to the southeast across the Gulf of Bahrain. The population in 2010 stood at 1,234,571, including 666,172 non-nationals.

Bahrain is the site of the ancient Dilmun civilisation. It has been famed since antiquity for its pearl fisheries, which were considered the best in the world into the 19th century. Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to convert to Islam (AD 628). Following a period of Arab rule, Bahrain was occupied by the Portuguese in 1521, who in turn were expelled in 1602 by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty under the Persian Empire. In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim. In the late 1800s, following successive treaties with the British, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom. In 1971, Bahrain declared independence. Formerly a state, Bahrain was declared a Kingdom in 2002. Since early 2011, the country has experienced sustained protests and unrest inspired by the regional Arab Spring, particularly by the majority Shia population.

Central Business District, Manama

The Central Business District (CBD) is located in central Manama, the capital of Bahrain. Many of the city's hotels, office buildings, shops and restaurants are located in the CBD. It lies along the northern coast of Manama.

The CBD is considered one of the best shopping areas in the city; it has the Manama Souq (market, in Arabic), located near the Bab Al Bahrain (the Gateway of Bahrain). The old souq has a variety of goods, from spices, condiments, textiles, electronics to jewelry.

In addition, the Bahrain World Trade Centre and the Bahrain Financial Harbour; this has Bahrain's tallest towers, and many of the country's largest banks and companies are also situated in the CBD.

Moda Mall Bahrain is a high-end shopping complex in the ground floor of Bahrain World Trade Centre. The Mall has around 160 designer stores, including Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Christian Lacroix, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Gucci, Hermés, Kenzo, Stella McCartney, Alexander McQueen, Emporio Armani, Furla, Roberto Cavalli, Vertu, Ermenegildo Zenga, Agent Provocateur, Versace, Bottega Veneta, Escada, Max Mara, Loewe, Mathew Williamson, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf, amongst others. The mall will also house some of the finest jewellery stores such as De Beers, Tiffany & Co., Boucheron, Chopard, Chanel Jewellery, Van Cleef & Arpels and Folli Follie, among others.

Manama

Manama (Arabic: المنامة‎ Al Manāma) is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 157,000 people. Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population. After periods of Portuguese and Persian control and invasions from the ruling dynasties of Saudi Arabia and Oman, Bahrain established itself as an independent nation during the 19th century period of British hegemony.

Although the current twin cities of Manama and Muharraq appear to have been founded simultaneously in the 1800s, Muharraq took prominence due to its defensive location and was thus the capital of Bahrain until 1921. Manama became the mercantile capital, and was the gateway to the main Bahrain Island. In the 20th century, Bahrain's oil wealth helped spur fast growth and in the 1990s a concerted diversification effort led to expansion in other industries and helped transform Manama into an important financial hub in the Middle East. Manama was designated as the capital of Arab culture for the year 2012 by the Arab League.