Moving to bahrain from qatar

Hii guys,

I need your valuable suggestions and opinions.I would be moving to bahrain from qatar. I have been offered a job in Bahrain and i would be getting 1000 BD during the  probation and 1200 BD after the completion of probation period of 3 months. Apart from this i would be given a 2 BHK furnished flat and a company maintained car. Is it a decent salary to work with? We are a family of three, me , my wife and two and half year  old kid.. I need to know  about the good areas to have accommodation and  decent  schools with CBSE curriculum. How safe is Bahrain now days after the ethnic clashes in the recent past? How much can i expect to save from the salary being given to me.
Looking for your honest and valuable feed backs.

Hello,

I would suggest that you look at the Cost of Living thread which is here: https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=337348

This refers to numerous discussions which should assist you in your calculations (these types of question crop up frequently hence the pinned post!).  Since everyone is different, and people tend to have different lifestyles we cannot necessarily answer your questions definitively.

The fact that you are being provided with accommodation and car should ease things, have you confirmed whether utilities and TV etc are included?

Please come back with any further questions!

All the best

Sarah

Dear Rakesh

Nice to know about you. How are you.
Bahrain is peaceful country as i have heard from some one.
You have got good offer.
You can save a lot.

Embassy schools will be there. Or Indian schools will be there.
Do not worry.
I wish you have journey

Dr.Neeraj

Also the Definitive Guide to Bahrain for New Expats will guide you through the basics.

If the flat is fully furnished it should be all inclusive - schooling can be expensive though so negotiate your company paying for it and not you

Lots of other benefits should be provided which are all covered in the link above in  Mummy T's post.

It's not a great salary but it's good enough if you live a quiet lifestyle. Bahrain is safe but you have to choose your areas carefully.

Look out for lots of graffiti, burnt rubbish bins, melted tarmac. Usually signs of an area to avoid.

We live very close to the above but never, ever have any trouble. If work is providing the flat and not just the allowance then check with them where it will be and then post on here for more advice

Thanks a lot for the valuable feed back...Which area would be good to stay with  the family..Would it be Juffair or seef?

Dear rakesh.kalra

depends on several factors, my suggestion would be to come down go around a bit, see what are your primary needs like office location/school/rent etc and talk to your colleagues at office who should be able to help you better. Seef and juffair are good places to stay.

T&R
Arjun

For a family I wouldn't recommend either really as you really mostly get flats or apartments there. Saar, Janabiya, Hamala and Jasra are better as the compounds are not over priced, they have pools and facilities and your kids will have other kids to play with. Also there are good restaurants, cinema's, horse riding in Saar too. All area's close to the main highway and the causeway so good access all around. Agree with previous comments though, you shouldn't choose an area without having seen it. If your future employer won't pay for you to do a preview tour then ask them to put you in serviced, temporary accommodation for a month which will give you time to decide where you want to live.

Both Seef and Juffair are ok for a family, unless you want a villa. They are centrally located but nowhere in Bahrain is far anyway. All the main amenities are located in Seef, Juffair, Adliya and Amwaj while other towns have also some amenities here and there as mentioned above.

I wouldn't recommend Adliya or Juffair for any family due to it being the main focus point for all the visiting GCC regulars that come here to get drunk, and very loudly patrol the streets at all hours of the night in crowds (with "ladies of the night" in tow) Police and ministry officials are trying to put a stop to the behaviour but as with a lot of things here nothing ever happens. So I stick to my main comment above.

It is not the case for Adliya. There aren't many "clubs" in Adliya. It's mostly restaurants. And for Juffair, it is a hit and miss in my opinion.

I know families that live in both Adliya and Juffair - they are all miserable. There are plenty of restaurants in Adliya that sell alcohol and there are still unsavory characters there. Also the traffic is a nightmare in both area's. Travel around, see the area's and decide what you like best. Brightonguy lives in Seef and I live in Saar so best for you to visit all area's.

Hi Guys, my office would be near to the BAPCO refinery , some where in Ma'ameer. Is that a safe area? I would be working as a business development manager and a lot of travelling would be needed  in Bahrain and out of Bahrain as well. If possible,I want to have a location which  would be near to this place. But yes, the place should be safe for the family.I stay in a compound in Qatar where there are almost every facility in the premises such as the shopping mart for daily needs, ATM, swimming pool, children's park, play school and a gym. I stay in a 2 BHK fully furnished flat.The nationalities  staying  here are a  mix of Indians, Arabs and western expats.But yes Qatar is much bigger than Bahrain, but hardly there is any area which is termed unsafe in Qatar. There are no  violent or non violent protests from any groups here , no acts of sabotage,  or even  no sort of nuisance from drunkards. I have a kid of 2 years and 3 months  old and she would be going to the play school  and then the school shortly.I have to keep all these things in mind before opting for a place  to  stay. In which area should i ask my company to provide accommodation. The restraint is a 2 bhk fully furnished flat. Looking for your valuable , helpful and honest replies.

The compounds here are very small in comparison and usually it is just facilities like pool, gym and that's about it. Only exceptions are  Reef Island, Amwaj Islands and Riffa Views. We can advise you till we are blue in the face but it really does have to be your decision. Come visit and choose, if not then insist on serviced accommodation for 1 month until you get your bearings.

Rakesh - if your place of work is near the Bapco Refinery, then I strongly recommend you checking out the following areas to live: 1) East Riffa, 2) West Riffa, 3) Riffa Views, 4) Sanad, 5) Hajjiyat. All of these are a few minutes from the Refinery. Also take a look at Isa Town and A'ali (both of which are about 10 minutes away).

And if your kids will attend schools with Indian curriculum, then it makes sense to be in and around this area since the main Indian schools are in Isa Town and West Riffa.

Areas (1) through (5) above are completely safe and trouble free. Isa Town and A'ali are safe but there are tyre-burning incidents sometimes.