Bahrain, 10 – 18 November 2019
I was traveling in Manama, Bahrain for Arab Business and Investment Conference (ABIC) 2019 and WEIF (World Economy and Investment Forum) 2019. The one that I learn the most from the experience:
- The attire in the Arabic country why it is comprised of long sleeve garments from the shoulder up toe with additional headcover consists of 1 piece of garment both for man or woman, called an abaya. And the woman added with face cover named niqab. Muslim people, in general, adopted this kind of custom as “Muslim” attire. As Indonesian who live in tropical countries, I dishearten with this particular attire so-called Muslim. Hence when I was in Bahrain, I can relate to the reason why those Arabian wearing that kind of fabric. Once, the surrounding in Arabic is dessert, so in order to cover our body from dust and direct heat from sunlight that it is kind of slamming to the face sunlight.
- Being a GCC citizen, you have perk of social security and free housing provided by the country (kingdom). As Indonesian, I was being mocked by my Saudi Arabian acquaintance, he said: “oh, my friend your country is so cheap and yet so hard earn living to just get USD 200, you guys need to struggle 40 hours per week by around 30 days per month.” While Saudi Arabia citizen, they will get all the perks from the country. Even being security, you can get USD1500 per month. If you were elderlies or widow, the country will give you social aid per month. Here, I really consider all the setting that God gives to us. That this world only a game similar to the online or virtual game on the computer that we are playing. In the War of Warcraft, we can switch realms and avatar, we can get different equipment based on our realms and avatar set. I feel I am living in a game of life. If I were switching citizenship and country, I will have another setting and equipment. Hence it is really the game of life the same as the Quran mention repeatedly.
- The democracy concept is not a panacea for the governmental system. As long as your country has well-distributed wealth and the country nurturing their citizen, under the kingdom system is fine. While so-called democracy fighting with corruption and taxes collection. The monarchy system can nurture their citizen well as long as the ruler remains in goodwill for their citizens.
Another insight:
- Human trafficking
It is a vogue issue of human trafficking derived from illegal working that especially happens to a domestic worker who does not have sufficient knowledge in language either Arabic or English, this happening to Indonesian or Philippines. The initial scenario that prone to happen is the recruiter promises the naïve girl from a rural village to work as a domestic worker in GCC country for USD 800 per month. In comparison minimum wage on their country USD 200 per month. Therefore, these naïve girls lured to work in GCC countries. Once the girls landed in the GCC country, the agent did not fulfill their promise and with additional burden, those girls were not entering under working visa.
Another scenario is these naïve girls have a boyfriend an Arabic man. This Arabic man promises to help them find better works with a better salary. Once the left their job to run away with this man. This man left the girl in the middle of the desert and sell this girl to another man.
Although this issue needs to have a further reliable source, I can relate the scenario to slavery in the fishery industry. When I was working in the frozen tuna industry, there are a couple international issues on slavery. And the underlying background usually scam/fraud job vacancy to lure the naïve rural people who are a dream to left the poverty line.
2.Hows UAE and Bahrain Raising into Wealthy Generous Country for Their Citizen
UAE has made wealth from the oil industry. They raising form the modest desert country and nowadays they are one of the wealthy countries in the world and have continued to build skyscrapers.
The government benefits that Emiratis have long enjoyed would be unthinkable in most of the world: Tax-free income. Free high-quality health care. Subsidized fuel. Generous government-funded retirement plans. Access to land to build homes with interest-free loans. Free higher education, even when pursued abroad.
To ease marriage costs, the government gives Emirati men 70,000 dirhams ($19,000) when they marry an Emirati woman. A debt settlement fund provides a one-time bailout to entrepreneurs who need it. On some occasions, the UAE’s rulers have paid the debts of Emirati nationals ahead of major holidays.
The welfare system emerged when seven emirates joined to form the UAE under Sheik Zayed’s leadership. Lifting Emiratis from poverty through a lifetime of aid coincided with transforming the UAE from a nation of disparate fishing villages into one of the world’s leading investment and commercial hubs.
Source: https://www.timesofisrael.com/despite-wealth-gap-ordinary-emiratis-ride-uae-gravy-train/
Bahrain’s constitution requires the government to assist in providing housing for all citizens unable to obtain adequate shelter through their own resources. Nearly three-fifths of all Bahrainis have benefited from government housing assistance in some way, and the government has likewise expended significant resources in recent decades to develop associated infrastructure. In 2001 the government inaugurated a new program to extend housing assistance to rural towns and villages.
The Ministry of Housing provides house loans, flats and house for Bahraini citizens. A waiting time that ranges between 5 to 15 years is a normal practice. The government plans to reduce the waiting time to less than 3 years.
Bahrain’s property market has soared in the past few years. Easing of residence and ownership restrictions has made property in Bahrain more attractive. Demand and supply for residential sector in real estate can be broken down into two categories, namely: Housing units and Flats.
Despite the increasing activities in the real estate sector, there exists shortage of housing in Bahrain, especially in the low to medium income family range. In Bahrain, about 3,000 marriages are conducted each year and assuming a 50 percent requirement of housing units, about 1,500 houses are needed per annum on a continuous basis.
Bahrain Affordable & Social Housing:
Since its establishment in 1975, Ministry of Housing had been mandated tp provide housing for all low income Bahraini Households. Today, the Ministry offers all eligible citizens four main types of services: Direct provision of housing units and flats; rental flats; loans for purchasing, building or renovating housing units; as well as land plots, if required.
It has made significant progress in recent years. In the first tem years following His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa’s accession to the throne in 1999, The Ministry of Housing and Eskan Bank distributed more than 36,000 social housing support services to the citizens of Bahrain, including:
· 13,500 housing units (houses and flats) at a cost of BD 510 Million
· 16,600 housing loans with a value of BD 400 Million
· 1,850 flats for subsidized rental
· 4,600 residential land plots, valued at BD 200 Million
Moreover, under the noble directive of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Ministry has given subsidies to many citizens who have low incomes or special needs. Subsidies and benefits have included:
· Waiving half the remaining housing loans
· Waiving half the installment value for housing units
· Amending the law to allow women who are the heads of households to apply for Government housing services
· Rebuilding derelict houses
· Introducing rental subsidy for citizens who have been on the waiting list for housing services for longer than five years
Source: http://www.housing.gov.bh/en/AboutUs/Pages/AffordableandSocialHousing.aspx
As a person that her upbringing is in low economy developing country. I see how my parent struggling to meet end needs. I have known how our house started just only build from scrap of wood and the floor is literally dirt (bare soil) and some part was cemented floor. In my toddler, we did not have electricity and television. And around 1990’s, we can have electricity but we can count how many days the electricity was cut off, then we shall light up kerosene lamp. So, when I see how UAE and Bahraini could access basic needs easily with the support of their government. I feel envy. How lucky they are. We always though Muslim country synonym for oppression kingdom. But those oppressive government provide everything for their citizen. Do not falsely making a conclusion living in Indonesia is not give you guarantee that you can enjoy a freedom. There is society norm of East culture that will dictate everything you do and you said, especially if you are born as woman. So, you have 2 shitty perks; living in poverty and do not having any freedom to speaks and act.
Things that I am shocked in Bahrain:
- We can find night club including alcohol in Bahrain. While their neighbour countries, i.e: Saudi Arabia is implemented strictly Muslim law and oppression. The Bahraini is more layback and for GCC passport holder can easily passing through immigration gate to Bahrain to have quite leeway lifestyle. Since Saudi Arabia and Bahrain has the oversea bridge: The King Fahd Causeway 24 km long bridge that connected those two countries over the Gulf of Bahrain. It is often to spot Saudi Arabian have weekend leisure in Bahrain. During my trip in Bahrain, I was in the Dragon city night club and nightclub in the Jad Ali street, Isa Town.
- We are accustomed with the 9 to 5 regular working hour for government office and regular private company. However, in Bahrain, people are enjoyed 12 pm noon as starting working hour and closing on 12 am midnight especially those in commercial service’ sector, such as restaurant and shopping center. These working hours is not applied all economy sector. But they are commonly implemented this quite odd working hours. Furthermore, same as other GCC that implemented Muslim system. The working days is Sunday to Thursday, for Friday and Saturday are consider as weekend holiday.
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