• Visit date: 11.03.2017
• The visited post office: Diplomatic Area Post office, Manana
• Cost of sending mail: to Europe 510 fils
• Postcard Delivery Times: 7 days to Germany

A Brief History of Bahrain’s Postal Service

Bahrain’s first post office opened in 1884 in Manama under the British Indian postal system. Until 1933, Indian stamps were used, later overprinted with “BAHRAIN.” After Indian independence in 1947, Bahrain’s services were managed by the British Postal Agency, which issued British stamps with Bahrain overprints.

In 1953, the first stamps featuring local ruler Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa were released. Bahrain took full control of its postal system in 1966 and began issuing its own stamps, marking a step toward national identity.

One unique chapter came in 1973 when a 5 fils surcharge was added to support Palestinian refugees during the Arab-Israeli war.

References: bahrainpost, Bahrain Post history, Bahrain Post culture, Bahrain

Our Experiences in Bahrain

Our March 2017 Gulf trip took us through Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar—three countries in one week, each with its own charm. Bahrain, the smallest of the trio, felt like a peaceful pause between its louder neighbors. Normally, I like to say I come from a small country, but this time that didn’t quite hold—while Bahrain’s population is similar to Estonia’s (around 1.5 million), it’s about 69 times smaller in size.

We stayed in Manama and visited the post office in the Diplomatic Area—modern, bright, and clean, and conveniently close to our hotel. To reach it, we walked up a wide staircase to the second floor, where friendly staff helped us send our postcards without fuss. This branch is also known as one of the main and most modern postal facilities in Manama. From there, I sent my daughter a card. I wrote: “Bahrain used to be famous for its pearls, but since they found oil, no one really dives for them anymore.” Oil was discovered here in 1932, shifting the country’s focus—but luckily, in 2012, the 3.5 km-long Bahrain Pearling Path was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list to help preserve its unique pearling heritage.

Though we didn’t make it to the Bahrain Post Museum this time, I later read about its fascinating collection: a copy of the 1840 Penny Black, rare regional stamps and home to over 4000 stamps from around the world, housed in the nice building in the old town of Manana.

As we explored the city—from the bustling souks and peaceful mosques to a dusty desert drive and even a glimpse of Bahrain’s famous Formula 1 circuit—we felt both safe and well looked after. But perhaps the most memorable moment came at the edge of the island: standing at the start of the King Fahd Causeway, at the Al Jasra border post, watching the bridge stretch across the sea toward Saudi Arabia.

Our guide explained, that many Saudis commuted to Bahrain daily not only for work, but also for the more relaxed lifestyle it offered. Bahrain, though small, had a reputation for being more socially liberal than its neighbor—cafés stayed open late, cinemas operated freely, and women had more public visibility. For many, it was the nearest escape from the kingdom’s stricter rules, just across the water. “But for tourists?” he laughed. “Not now. You needed a visa, a reason—and often, a male guardian.”

Just being that close to Saudi Arabia—still completely closed to tourism at the time—felt surreal. A place we couldn’t enter, but one we would return to less then two years later, on a “work trip” to explore the possibility of tourism.

And as for Manama—at first we joked about the name sounding like the Spanish mañana, but we quickly realized the comparison didn’t fit. Manama wasn’t slow or sleepy—it was calm, yes, but quietly efficient. Especially when it came to sending postcards. It took just a week for our card to reach Germany—faster than we expected.

At the border between two close U.S. allies, I ended up posing like the Statue of Liberty—a fun coincidence in an unexpected place.

That last evening in Bahrain—Thursday, when bars tend to fill up with visitors from across the border—I found myself in the hotel bar enjoying an unexpected round of pool with a cheerful stranger. Not from Saudi Arabia, but from even farther away: an American soldier stationed in Bahrain. His rotation had just ended, and since his replacement had already taken his spot, he had a couple of days to wait at the hotel before flying home. We played pool, shared stories, and sipped on outrageously priced beer—about $15 for a 0.3L bottle. But since his entire hotel bill, food and drinks included, was covered by the U.S. government, I realized I was, for once, drinking on the American taxpayer’s tab. Probably the only time that will ever happen.

By the time our postcard arrived, we were already home—unpacking memories and making plans for the next trip, chasing new stamps and stories once again.

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