Top ranking for Bahrain: Kingdom among five best countries for expats

ANOTHER survey has concluded that Bahrain is one of the best places in the world for expats.

Last month the country was ranked top for the second year running in an expat survey conducted by Germany-based InterNations, a network for people who live and work abroad.

Now an Expat Explorer survey by HSBC has placed Bahrain among the top five countries in the world for foreigners.

Bahrain moved up four places in the HSBC survey this year to claim fifth position.

Singapore was rated the best destination, followed by New Zealand, Germany and Canada, in the survey of more than 22,000 respondents.

“There are many reasons to move overseas, such as career progression, a better life for your family or just to embark on a new adventure,” said HSBC head of retailing in Bahrain Shakofa Asghar.

“One thing is clear, those who do take the leap enjoy a world of different experiences, gaining new skills and learning about themselves along the way.”

Bahrain ranked first in the GCC for affordability and low cost of living, while expats in Bahrain believed it was easy to integrate with the local community.

Of those surveyed, 45 per cent moved to Bahrain to improve their earnings and they were not disappointed.

Meanwhile, 48pc reported their income was at least 50pc higher – and four in five said they could pay off debts and save more.

The survey also ranked Bahrain fifth for economics, which looks at themes such as personal finance, disposable income, economic confidence, entrepreneurship culture, career progression and work-life balance, among other things.

The Expat Insider 2018 survey, which covered 68 countries, praised Bahrain as the best fit for expatriates and a good median between Eastern and Western cultures.

Its findings follow last week’s release of the Human Capital Index by the World Bank, which ranked Bahrain first among Gulf and Arab countries in terms of investment in education and healthcare.

It was listed 47th globally out of 157 countries, ahead of the UAE (49), Oman (54), Qatar (60), Saudi Arabia (73) and Kuwait (77).

Last month Bahrain was placed among the top 10 most popular countries in the world for tourism per capita in a survey by travel website TravelMag.com.

It was the only GCC or Arab country to feature.

Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/426013