Diplomatic Area, Bahrain

The Diplomatic Area (Arabic: المنطقة الدبلوماسية‎; transliterated: al-Mantiqah ad-Diblomasiyah) is an area that is located within the Central Business District of Manama, the capital city of Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf.

The Diplomatic Area is Manama's financial district, housing hundreds of banks, investment firms and Takaful societies that serve the entire Persian Gulf. It is mainly composed of office blocks and government buildings.^[1]

Ministries and banks

Most of the government ministries like the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Ministry of Works & Housing and the Ministry of Justice have their offices in the Diplomatic Area. The Central Bank of Bahrain is also head-quartered in the Diplomatic Area. The Diplomatic Area also houses the Public Prosecution and the court of Bahrain. Skyscrapers like the Bahrain World Trade Centre are located in the Diplomatic Area.

Embassies

• Saudi Arabia Embassy
• Kuwait Embassy

Museums

Bahrain National Museum is located in the Diplomatic District along the Manama bay. It is Bahrain's largest and most popular museum. Bait Al-Quran (The House of Quran) is also located in the Diplomatic Area. The House of the Quran was built to accommodate a comprehensive and valuable collection of the Quran and manuscripts, a concept which is unique in the Persian Gulf.

Shopping

The Diplomatic Area also has shopping districts within it. The Manama Souk is located in the area. It is Bahrain's Lower end shopping district, with triditional shops and coffee houses. A high-end shopping complex, Moda Mall at The Bahrain World Trade Centre is also located in the area. It houses 160 designer stores such as Dior, Louis Vuitton, Hermès, Fendi, Gucci, Kenzo, Christian Lacroix, Lanvin, Max Mara, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Emporio Armani, Escada, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Matthew Williamson, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli and more. The mall also features some of the finest jewelry brands including De Beers, Tiffany & Co., Boucheron, Chopard, Van Cleef & Arpels, Folli Follie, Cartier, Rolex, among others.

Hotels

There are a number of hotels in the Diplomatic area, mostly high-end. One among them, something of an institution in Manama, is the aptly named 'Diplomat Hotel'. As of 2010, the 'Dip' is managed by Radisson Hotels.

References

1. ^ Diplomatic Area, Manama, AllPosters.com.