Island of Attraction: Russia and Bahrain boost trade and tourism
The trade turnover between Russia and Bahrain increased by almost 15% in the first quarter of 2025. Our ambassador to Manama, Alexey Skosyrev, told Izvestia about this. An additional impetus for strengthening ties will be the participation of the island state in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum as a guest country on June 18-21. The diplomat noted that more and more Russians are discovering the Arab monarchy, and Russia, in turn, has entered the top five most popular foreign destinations for travelers from the kingdom, with an 8% increase in tourist traffic in 2024. The countries are considering the possibility of switching to a visa-free regime and are preparing for a new stage of cooperation.
Russian companies are expanding their operations in Bahrain
Russia and Bahrain are strengthening bilateral ties amid the revival of trade and the rapid growth of tourist exchange, Russian Ambassador to Manama Alexei Skosyrev told Izvestia.
— In recent years, Russian-Bahraini economic cooperation has experienced certain difficulties, primarily due to illegal restrictive measures imposed by the countries of the collective West. Financial calculations and logistics have really become more complicated, which, of course, has affected mutual trade," the diplomat noted.
Nevertheless, according to Skosyrev, there are grounds for restrained optimism in 2025. In his opinion, Manama's participation in the SPIEF as a guest country will be of particular importance. The forum will be held from 18 to 21 June.
According to Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of Russia and Executive Secretary of the SPIEF Organizing Committee, the two countries have significantly strengthened economic cooperation by developing partnerships in key areas such as energy, high technology, logistics and tourism.
— According to Russian agencies, the trade turnover with Bahrain in January–March of this year increased by almost 15% compared to the same period last year. According to the Bahraini customs, the increase could have been even more significant," the head of the Russian diplomatic mission said.
At the same time, the ambassador stressed that the current figures do not yet reflect the full potential, there is a mutual desire to give additional impetus to cooperation.
Indeed, trade volumes have remained modest in recent years, amounting to only $20 million in 2022. For comparison, Russia's food trade with the Persian Gulf countries alone exceeded $1.6 billion in 2023. Nevertheless, work continues on improving the legal framework and expanding the network of contacts between representatives of the business community.
This was evidenced, in particular, by the January meeting of the Intergovernmental commission co-chairs and the visit of Russian Minister of Economic Development Maxim Reshetnikov to Bahrain in early June.
"We are pleased to note that more and more Russian companies, both small and large, are launching commercial activities in the kingdom," the ambassador added.
According to him, the greatest potential is represented by the development of trade and investment partnerships in such areas as agro-industrial and fuel and energy complexes, pharmaceuticals, technology, tourism and transport.
Alexey Skosyrev also recalled the importance of close coordination with Manama within OPEC+, a key mechanism for ensuring predictability and stability of global energy markets.
Bahrain is pursuing a pragmatic course in the international arena. Despite Western pressure in the context of the situation in Ukraine, Manama takes a restrained and neutral position, calling for a diplomatic settlement and non-confrontation. The country has not joined the anti-Russian sanctions and maintains working relations with the Russian Federation.
For example, Manama abstained from voting at the 11th emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on resolutions "Suspension of Russia's membership in the UN Human Rights Council" (April 2022) and "Ensuring compensation for damage and reparations for aggression against Ukraine" (October 2022).
Record tourism
Tourism is one of the areas where cooperation is developing particularly actively. One of the promising areas remains the preparation of a visa-free agreement.
— So far, the document (draft intergovernmental agreement on the introduction of a visa-free regime. — Ed.) remains under consideration. There is interest on both sides in removing barriers, but resolving certain legal and technical issues takes time," the diplomat said.
The interest of Russian tourists in Bahrain has grown in recent years. After a difficult period related to the pandemic, the tourist flow began to recover.
— By the end of 2024, the kingdom received about 25 thousand guests from Russia. This creates the basis for further growth. It is obvious that the Bahraini hospitality industry has everything it needs to take a prominent place among the holiday destinations popular with Russians: the combination of comfort, security and oriental identity makes the country especially attractive," said Alexey Skosyrev.
The growth is also facilitated by the active activities of Bahraini partners who plan to step up their work in the Russian market, including through cooperation with domestic tour operators and industry structures, the ambassador explained. The interest in travel is also noticeable from the Bahraini side.
— In 2024, Russia entered the top five most popular foreign destinations for tourists from Bahrain. Bahrainis are particularly fond of cities such as Moscow, Sochi, St. Petersburg and Kazan. They offer a well—developed infrastructure — everything that makes a trip unforgettable," said Alexey Skosyrev.
According to him, the number of tourists from the monarchy has reached a record level, in 2024 the tourist flow amounted to almost 9 thousand people, which is about five times higher than in 2023.
— If we talk about the scale of the tourist flow as a whole, then, according to available data, in 2024 its growth was 8% compared to 2023. This dynamic inspires confidence," the head of the diplomatic mission explained.
According to the diplomat, logistics facilitation and visa liberalization have become key factors in the growth of the tour exchange. "These are direct daily flights between the capitals, as well as charter flights between Bahrain and Sochi, which makes travel as convenient as possible," said the head of the Russian Embassy.
In addition, since 2023, citizens of the kingdom have been able to apply for electronic visas to enter the Russian Federation. Russians, in addition to applying for a visa online, have been able to get it directly upon arrival in the country for many years — right at the airport.
Alexey Skosyrev also emphasized the cultural dimension of cooperation, noting that tourism is becoming not only a sphere of economic cooperation, but also an important tool of the so-called people's diplomacy. According to him, the growing interest in Bahrain on the part of Russian travelers indicates a desire for new cultural experiences, and the attention of Bahrainis to Russian cities indicates that Russia is perceived as an attractive and distinctive player on the tourist map of the world.
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