Advancing Knowledge and Fostering Learning

With free, compulsory public school for all citizens, Bahrainis are among the best-educated people in the Arab world, guaranteeing a workforce that is skilled and ready for the highly technical demands of today’s global economy.

Bahrain and the U.S. have a long history of partnering to foster the value of education and cultural exchange. Since 2006, over 137 Bahraini students have spent one high school year studying in the United States through The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Similarly, over 600 Bahrainis have visited and worked in the U.S. through the U.S. State Department’s International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) since 1993.

Investing in The Future of Bahrain

Bahrain will use its resources to invest in the future, improving its human capital through education and training…

-Bahrain Economic Vision 2030

Bahrain’s youth are key to the country’s future. The Kingdom is committed to investing in promising students and empowering them to pursue their dreams. Established in 1999 by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, the Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program (CPISP) gives college scholarships for promising Bahraini students so that they can study at any university they gain acceptance to around the world.

Crown Prince's International Scholarship Program
Al Raja School

The Landscape of Education in Bahrain

Private International Schools

An American woman established the first American school in Bahrain in 1911. That school became the Al Raja School (ARS), next to the American Mission Hospital, which offers the American Diploma. A number of other top-rate, fee-based private schools offer teaching in the British, French, Indian, Urdu and Japanese traditions. St. Christopher’s School, a British private secondary school in Isa Town, was named by The Guardian as one of the best international schools around the world.

Institutions of Higher Learning

Universities in Bahrain include the University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic, the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), the British University of Bahrain (BUB), which opened in 2018, the American University of Bahrain, which opened in 2019, and others.

Vocational training facilities include the Bahrain Institute for Banking and Finance, Bahrain Training Institute (BTI), Bahrain Institute of Technology, and the Gulf College for Hospitality and Tourism.

There are also several language centers, including the Polyglot School, the British Council Teaching Center, the Cambridge School of English, Berlitz and Alliance Francaise.

American University
Bahrain Training Institute

Bahrain Training Institute

In one particular area—entrepreneurship—Bahrain hopes to continually strengthen its dynamic startup-focused business ecosystem. The Bahrain Training Institute helps nurture skills among Bahraini citizens to equip and empower them to pursue their own innovative ideas and visions. Under this initiative, job-seekers learn to finance and operate their own businesses.