Bahrain: Introductory country profile

The UK has strong diplomatic, military, and economic ties with Bahrain. The UK is currently negotiating a trade agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, whose six members include the country. Bahrain’s human rights record has been of significant concern to the UK Government, and Bahrain was, until 2023, one of the UK’s 31 human rights priority countries.

This briefing introduces Bahrain’s politics, human rights, trade, and international relations. It also signposts further reading. Please visit the Library’s Middle East pages for further analysis on the region’s politics.

What does this paper cover?

This 18-page briefing provides an introduction to Bahrain’s: 

• Leadership, politics, and political rights, such as the right to vote, and freedom of expression and assembly
• Human rights, such as the rights of women and migrant workers
• Trade with the UK and current negotiations on a trade agreement 
• Economy, including key statistics on population, economic growth and leading industries 
• Foreign relations, including with the US, neighbouring Gulf states and Iran

The paper signposts further reading on each of these topics on pages 15 to 18. This includes links to recent UK Parliament proceedings on Bahrain and relevant Library briefing papers. 

Please visit the Library’s Middle East pages for further analysis on the region.