29th June 2011: The so-called Arab Spring errupted across the region in 2010 on. As a sort of reaction, in Bahrain, the Shiite community began holding mass demonstrations on Feb 14th 2011. There was some violence and the occupation of the Pearl Roundabout, which almost all sensationalist media referred to as Peal Square for effect. There are NO highway squares in Bahrain.
Many governments showed alarm and concern for the expatriate community in Barhrain and Britain having rather a large contingent decided to send aircraft for an evacutation. Nobody turned up at the airport to get on those planes. As it was, expatriates themselves were not in the slightest bit worried and very few if any packed up and left. It was considered that the issue was not aimed at them and besides, all sections of the community both Shiite and Sunni are very warm to expatriates in general. So much so that so many expatriates who come to Bahrain, never leave and call Bahrain ‘HOME’.
As international media criticism was rampant at the time, H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa showed considerable humbleness by inviting a large number of expatriates, many who were actually born in Bahrain and who indeed showed loyalty as a whole, to air their views and any greviances they might have. As a result an Expatriate Committee was set up, opening up a direct avenue to the government should issues arise. H.R.H Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister was also there to great the large number, along with other high ranking members of the Royal Family.
Bahrain is the only Arab country which extends citizenship to expatriates in general, regardless of origin and religion. Many of the expatriates seen in this video are indeed Bahraini Nationals now.
