Date: February 3, 2025

I left Bengaluru past midnight and after a layover in Abu Dhabi, I am now on an Etihad flight to Bahrain.

For those new to my blog — and me — I grew in the island of Bahrain. Me and brothers, we all finished our schooling, before leaving the island in the early 2000s. I hadn’t been back to Bahrain in 23 years. So why now?

My 1999 school batchmates created a WhatsApp group in 2024 and once the group got large enough, discussions began about organizing a reunion celebration to commemorate 25 years since we graduated. I was initially hesitant as after my Mumbai trip to see Coldplay, embarking on an international trip for a week, was going to cost me a lot. But my friend Jassim encouraged me and told me it would be fun, so I just said “fuck it” and swiped my credit card away.

So here I am, landing in Muharraq, where Bahrain International Airport is located.

My friend had gotten my Bahrain visa arranged beforehand, so I just had to walk straight to immigration.

Unfortunately, as I passed immigration and passed my bags through security, I ran into trouble for my DJI drone. As my luggage passed through the X-ray machine, the officer asked me if I had a drone, and pulled me into the security room. I was informed drones brought in from outside Bahrain aren’t allowed. So I was told I would have to collect my drone upon leaving.

The security officer wasn’t rude with me or anything. They gave me a form to hand the customs officer when leaving and collect my drone.

As for why Bahrain doesn’t allow drones… the official reason is “security”. The real reason is Iran, their proxies in the region, and some smuggling of drugs via drones. Other countries in the region have accused Iran of the same as per the linked articles.

Continue reading “Bahrain: Returning to the country I grew up in… after 23 years” »