Manama: King Hamad Bin Eisa Al Khalifa has praised the role and efforts of expatriates in Bahrain, saying that they are loved and appreciated for their effective role in the building and progress of the kingdom.
Expatriates make up an important part of the Bahraini society and have contributed alongside Bahraini citizens to the evolution and progress of Bahrain in all areas, the King said late on Sunday.
King Hamad said that he appreciated their positive attitudes towards Bahrain and their constant keenness on strengthening its position at all levels.
Information Minister Ali Bin Mohammad Al Romaihi said that Bahrain was a model of tolerance, peaceful co-existence and mutual respect among all components of the society.
There is genuine keenness on consolidating the human dignity of all people through the enactment of legislation that protects rights and freedom and ensures equality in rights, the minister added in a statement.
Expatriates are partners in the nation-building process and the country's progress, Al Romaihi said.
"Tolerance and mutual acceptance are a pre-requisite for security, stability, comprehensive and sustainable development and human welfare," the minister said.
Expatriates make up slightly more than 50 per cent of the 1.4 million people who live in Bahrain, mostly Asians working in the construction and service sectors.
Although the kingdom is overwhelmingly Muslim, it has 19 officially registered churches as well as a synagogue and temples.
The National Evangical Church in 1906 became the first church to offer services in Bahrain.
Roman Catholics have two churches, the Sacred Heart Church in Manama, and the Catholic Church of Our Lady of the Visitation in Awali, a former oil town in central Bahrain.
The Sacred Heart, built in 1940, serves around 140,000 people, mainly Indians, Filipinos, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri Lankans.
Bahraini Christians and Jews have been regularly represented in the Shura Council, the upper chamber of the bicameral parliament, since 2002 when constitutional life was reinvigorated following a three-decade hiatus.
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