The other side of the Bahraini postcard

Hi! Useful question, Julien. Well, Bahrain looks like a developed country, you have the feeling to be in a modern and safe environment.We enjoy the sun, the shopping, the night life and as long as the life do not confront us with any kind of accidents or incidents all is fine.  But if some unfortunate event occurs, then may God protect and save us, cause no one else will...This is my ''other side of the postcard''.  I take this occasion to advise my fellow expats: Please when renting a house, check the following:

1. the electrical distribution panel board should have circuit breaker for socket ( max 4 in series)
2. the wall socket should not be made by Chinese manufacturer, it must be made as per BS ( British standard) and  the recommended product shall be either from MK or Legrand.
3. do not buy any Chinese socket extension , it is  dangerous since the fuse inside will not work properly.
4. the fire alarm system MUST work..
5. make sure to have a central AC since the regular one can bring you trouble in case the panel board is not as per the electric safety specification.

This is a country where a owner of a house can let a house be for rent even if the electrical system is damaged, old and risky. The ministry of electricity does not care at all of it; the ministry of housing is responsible only for the houses that belong to the government, the ministry of environment is also useless: they do not even have instruments to reveal toxic substances in the air. And more worse of it all, do not expect that in case of an accident, like in a house blaze, the emergency call 999 will answer quickly. In my case they did not pick up the phone, only by my fourth call an annoyed policeman answered and  he could barely understand English... The Civil Defence Force came late, too late and they did not properly extinguish the fire;  the day after the house was still burning...they had to come again....
This house is now, after a few months from the fire, ready to be  rent again, The electrical system is the same, only cosmetic make up was done. The house is situated in Adliya. The owner does not care of the life of others, but since there are no rules in Bahrain regarding safety in private houses, he feels free to set the life of others at risk. I know, it looks more like a ashy postcard, but this is what I got from Bahrain...