Why Post-MENA Shape in Bahrain was special?

A short road trip from Khobar to Manama — crossing the bridge, arriving in a country shaped by contrast and coexistence.

For a public finance and development analyst like me, Bahrain offers a unique vantage point.

Its economy is small, but its symbolism is large. A country whose budget is intimately tied to Saudi Arabia, yet whose political and social fabric is distinctly its own. In a region of mega-states and vast oil reserves, Bahrain stands out as a place where scale doesn’t limit complexity — it sharpens it.

What struck me was not just the fiscal architecture or the sovereign fund strategy, but the social architecture: a compact country where Sunni and Shia communities, expats and locals, coexist with historical tensions but also visible attempts at pluralism. The diversity — religious, cultural, economic — gives Bahrain a density of lessons for those of us working on governance and service delivery in fragile or hybrid systems. While my stay in Bahrain was very short, I'd very much love to go back and explore it much more!
But for now, thanks to Global Shapers Manama and Budaiya Hub for showing us around, their great hospitality and organising such a packed, rich schedule.