Bahrain top ME destination for expats

WTTEN-Bahrain has been named the Middle East’s top destination for expatriates, ahead of the UAE, according to HSBC’s Expat Explorer 2016 report.

Bahrain was ranked ninth globally behind top performer Singapore, thanks in part to the relative ease with which expats are able to make new friends in the kingdom, HSBC said.

More than two in three (67%) of expats living in Bahrain said it was an easy place to live, much higher than the 52% global average, and four in 10 (42%) expat parents saying their children find it easy to make friends too compared with the global average of 31%, it added.

Overall, the UAE was placed 12th, ahead of Oman (18th), Qatar (29th), Saudi Arabia (31st) and Kuwait (35th).

Money was not a prime reason for expats to move to Bahrain as the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia all polling ahead of the country in terms of economic considerations.

The report said the Middle East remained an excellent destination for expats to improve their earnings, increase their savings and enjoy greater disposable income, despite the fact that all Middle Eastern countries (except Kuwait) slipped slightly in this year’s Economics league table