Amwaj Island, Bahrain. March 2015
Final hours in Bahrain
I started my short time in Bahrain with my Saudi friends from Abha, but ended it with my frequent travel-mate, AM, who drove in from Jubail (over in Saudi Arabia) to spend time with me that weekend, too After driving around and visiting much of Bahrain, we were actually running out of things to do, so on AM's suggestion we drove out of the main city of Manama northeast toward a newly developed area, Amwaj.
Amwaj was literally carved out of the sea with landfill. Like Dubai and other Gulf States, the easiest place to develop new land was to just fill in the seafront - an easy solution for people wanting waterfront property. The drive there was very stark as it was all so new. It reminded me of Dubai outside of the glitzy downtown that everyone sees. In the "brown zone" of very little landscaping and green, the appeal of Dubai diminishes. This was also true of driving to Amwaj. I trusted AM, but I thought, "where is this guy taking me?"
We arrived at group of low-rise buildings and parked the car. We entered the complex, passed through, and exited onto a rectangular inlet from the sea bordered by a shopping mall on three sides. The mall featured terraces filled with restaurants and cafes that overlooked the water. The "sea facing side" of the complex had lovely flowers and trees to break up what would otherwise have been more of the ubiquitous brown monotony. I thought it was an incredible expenditure in development given that the southern part of Bahrain Island was totally empty. This was not land that was needed per se, it was only more "seafront".
AM and I had a meal and some great conversation. He was a most accommodating host and I always enjoyed my time with him. We walked around the harborfront promenade and came upon some mounted police. They stood out in great contrast to the surroundings in their red uniforms. I know the mounted police in major US cities are actually effective in "policing" because humans must innately respect other humans riding large animals. These police, however, were decked out like the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Most certainly they were not there looking for errant criminals stealing baguettes from the bakery "Paul". I think they were there to remind people that they were still in Bahrain, perhaps?
Finally, it was nearing time to board my flight to Dubai and AM drove me to the airport. I still wonder how much this kind of development is needed in the world. Will it be abandoned after a few decades if Bahrain's fortunes turn sour, only to be reclaimed by the sea?
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