Possible move to Bahrain

Good evening guys,

My husband is due to fly out to Bahrain very shortly for a job interview.  Should he be successful he will be going out initially for the first few months, with myself and my 15 year old daughter flying out to join him in May 2014 after she has sat her GCSE's in the UK.

First things first, I suppose.  My main question is where are the best places to look for accommodation (preferably a 4 bed villa with pool). 

Secondly, my daughter wishes to continue her education when we arrive in Bahrain, so any pointers as to how to access colleges etc would be very much appreciated.

And lastly, for tonight anyway..... Are there any karate schools in Bahrain..... My daughter is due to take her black belt exam in the next 12 months and wants to know if this is something she can carry on in Bahrain.

Many thanks for any help you can give..... I will be mithering you all a lot over the next few weeks as the are many questions I have so I'll apologise in advance.

Reeniemason :D

There are very nice villas in Adliya and in Saar. Saar is close to the causeway to Saudi Arabia. Ways leading to Saar and certain areas within Saar could be uncomfortable to live in as sometimes protests occur near there - but it's nothing to worry about.

Definitive Guide to Bahrain for New Expats article answers a lot of questions about finding a property and schooling. You can try www.bahrainpropertyworld.com to search for properties available in Bahrain - but more info about locations in Bahrain are on the guide. Worth a read.

In terms of Karate, I found these:
- Japan Karate Associatiion
- Bahrain Karate-do Academy
- Bahrain Karate Centre

Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Hi

Your daughter will be able to start Year 12 for A Level's at either British School of Bahrain or St Christopher's.  As far as I am aware there arent any specialist colleges such as we would know in the UK but I may be wrong.

My son is about to start Year 12 in September.  Look at both school's websites and you will see the entry requirements for A Level courses.

Depending upon which school you choose and where your husband will be working may depend upon the area you choose to live and of course your budget - 4 bed villa's with pool vary greatly in price from 1000bd to 3000bd depending on the area.

Hope that helps

Thanks ever so much for your help guys.

I am glad you have a similar situation with your boy Scottrace...... It makes it a little easier if someone is  in a similar position with the same age child.  I will look at both of those schools.

My husband will be living in Bahrain but commuting across to Saudi (I think!..... Not confirmed yet) so as you suggest, I think it may be premature to look at this stage until we have this confirmed.  Bit of an eager beaver and too excited not to have a sneaky peek at houses now though!

Thank you also to brightonguy for the article pointers and karate centres.  You have saved me hours of trawling!

Once again, I appreciate your help very much.  Enjoy your evening.

You're welcome. Keep us in the loop with the move and let us know if you need any further information.

Good luck!

You're welcome.

If your husband is going to be in Saudi, you definitely want to look at Hamala, Jasra, Janabiya.  Saar too but take advice before you sign up as some parts of Saar are not so good these days.

Your daughter should love it out here - it's a fantastic life for teenagers - we have been here 18 months and my 16 year old son adores it.  Feel free to pm me if you wish.

Good luck.

Thank you reeniemason & brighton for posting and replying.

This really helpful for me. I live in USA and have been interviewed for an IT Postion in Manama, Bahrain. Do not know the result yet.
I have three kids, 15, 13 & 6. Salary offer is BD2500.00. I do not know yet whether this figure is ok or not. But I have asked for a higher number. My main attaraction is Tax free economy.
On this forum I already know about the schooling in Bahrain.

But I still want to know about cost of health insurance. Also, does the Salary include health, housing & education benefits or are these benefits paid on top of Salary.


Thank you,
-Habib

Hello Habib,

This really varies from company to company. For example my company includes the health, housing and education on my package, whereas many other companies do not. You will need to check this with your own company or have a look at the contract where the details will be written.

2,500 BD is not a bad salary for Bahrain. It's like US$ 6,000 tax-free income per month - which is more than enough to live on and save some. As we always say, the amount of money you spend will certainly vary depending on your lifestyle and where you live.

Your company should provide you the health insurance. You better check this up with them.

Let us know if you need anything else.

All the best with the move.