Shopping in Bahrain
One of the great pleasures of Bahrain is the shopping. And it is not just the variety and range of goods we are talking about. Walking around the souk is a great way to spend an evening.
It is a wonderful feeling, taking in the sights and sounds of a traditional Arabic market, the world lazily drifting along the streets, shopkeepers in the smaller alleys enticing you to try their wares, customers haggling for that little extra discount….
Most shops here, in the souk or otherwise, open from 0830 to 1930, with a break between 1230 and 1530. On Wednesdays and Thursdays, they stay open till a little later in the evening, while on Fridays the stores only open in the mornings.
Supermarkets and cold stores, as the smaller food and grocery shops are popularily known , keep longer hours, normally from 0800 to 2200 with no break, but there are so many that stay open even longer or even right through the night.
You should note that evening store timings change during the holy month of Ramadan when Moslems in the country fast during the day. Shops then only reopen after sundown, usally around 1900, and stay open till anytime between 2200 and 0200.
Leading department stores and shopping complexes jostle for attention here with tiny shops who attract customers with the promise of a good bargain. The souk is the ideal place to begin as it offers a chance to look at everything from clothes to handicrafts and shoes to electronics.
There are a few shopping complexes as well, the ones of note being the Yateem Centre, seefmall, Al Aali shopping complex and the Al Zainah Plaza.
