The Bahrain Oil Museum: Showcasing the first discovery of Black Gold in the Middle East

Bahrain, the ‘Kingdom of the Two Seas’, may be said to be well oiled spring of the Middle Eastern economic boom. The small island monarch-state is today a major tourist hub in the Middle East, known not only for its oil and pearls, but also as an international centre of trade and commerce. The nation is imbued with a proud cultural and archeological heritage which reaches back to the days when it was known as Dilum, the trading nexus between the Mesopotamian and Indus Valley civilizations. Yet, its skyline dominated by skyscrapers bespeaks how successfully the people have embraced the modernity and free trade that has elevated them to prosperity since the Middle Eastern oil resources were first discovered there.

Petroleum and natural gas are Bahrain’s only significant natural resources; yet, over time they have been shrewdly invested in such a way as to provide an infrastructural framework upon which is now mounted a highly diversified economy known for its banking and heavy industry. Yet the Bahrainis do not forget the part that their “black gold” played in its modern history.

A testament to this is the Oil Museum in Bahrain. Inaugurated in 1992 to commemorate the 60^th anniversary of the discovery of oil in Bahrain, it was opened near Bahrain’s first oil well in Jabal Ad Dukhan. It exhibits fascinating relics of the first oil digs, such as subterranean geological samples, topographical maps and old photographs and documents pertaining to the first oil explorers. It also houses old drilling equipment and a working model of an oil rig, which is one of the focal points of interest.

Those who wish to explore the sights of the island while enjoying the trademark commercial bustle of its cities will do well to find Bahrain accommodation in a serviced residence in its capital Manama. Somerset Al Fateh house popular Bahrain Serviced Apartments for business travel, being situated in a residential area in Juffair, just minutes from the Central Business District and Diplomatic area.