Features

A Friendship That Feels Like Family

by: BTM - Sun, 08 Nov 2026

❮ ❯

With an Italian grandmother and nearly half a century spent in Bahrain, the warmth between these two countries feels deeply personal to me.

I remember hearing my father speak Italian with his mother and her sister. To my ears, it was the language of music and love: expressive, affectionate and full of life. I have often recognised that same warmth in Bahrain.

Both societies cherish family and friends, welcome guests generously and respect older generations. Faith runs deep, shaping traditions and community life, while pride in heritage sits alongside ambition for the young.

Around the table, these similarities come naturally to life. Food expresses affection and belonging; conversations flow, another helping is encouraged, and there is always room for one more guest.

Italy and Bahrain also share maritime and trading traditions, an appreciation of craftsmanship and beauty, and a gift for building relationships through personal trust.

The opening of the Italian Embassy in Manama in 2002 marked an important milestone in this relationship, supporting closer political dialogue and expanding commercial engagement. That diplomatic foundation provides a starting point for looking at how ties have developed and where shared ambitions could lead next.

As Publisher of Bahrain This Month, I am delighted to celebrate these connections.

This supplement honours the people whose friendships, creativity and enterprise bring our countries closer, making a diplomatic relationship feel wonderfully human.

George F Middleton
Publisher, Bahrain This Month