Bahrain has surpassed its previous ranking in the 2018 HSBC Expat Explorer Survey as the top destination in the Middle East region for individuals from across the world to resettle and enjoy an exceptional quality of life. Each year, the survey serves as a trusted assessment of expats’ experiences in relocation and career growth across the world. In the 2018 survey, Bahrain’s position improved to fifth-ranked country in the world for expat satisfaction, up from ninth in 2017.
The HSBC survey, conducted globally among 22,000 respondents, evaluates expat sentiment across three major components: economics, experience and family. Bahrain’s standing improved markedly across each of these areas in the 2018 index, up by 12, 5 and 4 positions respectively, compared to 2017. The primary drivers of this strong performance include wage growth, opportunities for career progression, work-life balance, job security, access to quality child care and the welcoming social fabric of Bahrain.
Dr Simon Galpin, Managing Director of the EDB, said: “We are consistently ranked as the top location in the MENA region to live, work and raise a family. From the exceptional primary and higher education available here, to the ways we are transforming public services, including housing and health care, Bahrain continues to represent a prime destination for expats to seamlessly integrate into our society and thrive.”
Bahrain is the only MENA nation in the 2018 HSBC survey rankings to have improved its position among the top 10 destinations considered. Other key indices, such as 2018 InterNations Expat Survey, also rank Bahrain highly as a location for expats to settle and flourish. For the second year, Bahrain also achieved the number one global ranking in the InterNations survey, demonstrating high performance on factors such as ‘ease of settling in,’ ‘feeling at home’ and ‘digital life’. These factors indicate that Bahrain remains an open society in transition to capitalise on a transformative ecosystem in which the companies of the future can excel and grow.
