Humans have inhabited Bahrain for some 7000 years. The ancient Dilmun Empire arose around 3200 B.C. Through the millennia, however, Babylonians, Sumerians, Greeks, Persians, Portuguese, and Turks, among others, have occupied Bahrain. In 1783, the Al-Khalifa family arrived in Bahrain, a land they rule benevolently to this day.

Pearls and a few agricultural staples, like dates, were Bahrain’s primary economic product throughout its history until 1932, when the discovery of oil changed the course of our history. Bahrain has, no doubt, enjoyed the benefits of this natural resource. Still, oil is a finite commodity and Bahrain has made great strides toward diversification of our economy with help from global economic friends like the US. Today, Bahrain stands as a model of Arab/Western partnership and proof that such relationships can be strong and mutually beneficial. Having reduced our dependence on oil to a fraction of our economy Bahrain is today known as a center for banking and finance in the Middle East and aluminum has become a major export product in addition to oil and natural gas.

In 2000, as promised, the Amir inaugurated a new era of democracy in Bahrain. October witnessed substantial political reforms. Citizens voted in elections that established a bi-cameral parlaiment. In 2001, women were allowed to vote for the first time. Bahrainis today enjoy a greater voice in the laws that govern them—an uncommon freedom in the Gulf.