Prostitution in Bahrain

Prostitution in Bahrain is illegal but it has gained a reputation in the Middle East as a major destination for sex tourism.

The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights reported in 2007 that there were more than 13,500 prostitutes in the country and that the number was rising.

Sex trafficking is a problem in the country.

Bahraini conservative Al Asala bloc sought to curb prostitution by banning women from certain countries, but their proposal failed, as there were worries that Bahrain’s diplomatic relations might deteriorate with the countries targeted in Al Asala’s anti-prostitution drive.

According to the U.S. Department of State, women and men from South and Central Asia, and East Asia; East and West Africa, Uzbekistan, and other countries are subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking in Bahrain.

During the era of slavery in Bahrain, prostitution was connected to slavery. The Islamic Law formally prohibited prostitution. However, since the principle of concubinage in Islam in Islamic Law allowed a man to have intercourse with his female slave, prostitution was practiced by a pimp selling his female slave on the slave market to a client, who was allowed to have intercourse with her as her new owner, and who after intercourse returned his ownership of her to her pimp on the pretext of discontent, which was a legal and accepted method for prostitution in the Islamic world. Slavery in Bahrain was however abolished in 1937.

Prostitution is common, especially in Manama. Most of the prostitution occurs in bars and hotels, but some prostitutes, mainly Russian and Central Asian, attract customers in the malls. There is also some street prostitution. In Bahrain, the prostitution is organized. Most of the prostitutes are foreign: Russian, Thai, Filipino, Ethiopian, Bangladeshi, Chinese and South Korean. Kenyan women have also been known to engage in prostitution. Each hotel or bar tends to have one nationality of prostitutes: One hotel in the Juffair district has bars on different levels where each level 'offers' a specific nationality of prostitute. Filipino and Chinese prostitutes work in Australian outback-themed bars. In some hotels the women will knock on guests doors late at night looking for customers. Alcohol and prostitution is opposed by Bahrain's majority Shia population. Bills to prohibit alcohol have been passed by the Shia-ruled parliament but revoked by the Sunni–ruled Shura Council of Bahrain. Hotels and bars tolerate the prostitutes as it brings in male customers and increases alcohol sales.

Many of the customers are Saudis who drive to Bahrain where the laws are far less strict than in their homeland, especially where sex and alcohol are concerned.