Island of Pearls
The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island nation located in the Persian Gulf comprising of more than 100 tiny islands some of which are natural while others have been reclaimed from the sea. With a land area of just 760 square kilometres, it is the third smallest country in Asia and twenty third smallest country in the world. The country is renowned for its historical legacy that is rooted in the Dilmun Civilization, for its date palms strewn in across the desert that covers most the country’s land and for its pearl fisheries. If you plan on visiting the Kingdom of Bahrain, visit Tourist Visa Online for all your visa related needs.
Connect Bahrain to Arabia
As Bahrain is an island nation, it has no land orders with any other country. However, its maritime neighbours include Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. For generations, the people of the country observed that even though the distance between Bahrain, Iran and Qatar was considerable, the islands are only a short distance away from Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the local engineers were already pioneers in land reclamation process and thus the idea for the next logical thing was born – a bridge to connect the Kingdoms of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The 25-kilometre-long route, formally known today as the King Fahd Causeway, is a series of bridges and causeways that connects Bahrain with Saudi Arabia.
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All About King Fahd Causeway
- The King Fahd Causeway is the linking stretch of road that connects the Kingdom of Bahrain with the rest of the Arabia
- The Causeway is 25 kilometres long comprising of five bridges that rest on 536 concrete pillars that keep it above the waters.
- It also has a set of seven embankments where the water is shallow of which one has been converted into an artificial island that houses a customs and immigration facility, a mosque along with gardens and restaurants.
- The western terminal of the causeway is in Khobar, Saudi Arabia and the eastern terminal is in Al Jasra, Bahrain.
- The idea of constructing a connecting link was prevalent since prehistoric times with the intent of improving the links between the two kingdoms. Finally, in 1986 the bridge construction was completed and opened to the public.
- The causeway has made the process of commercial exchange between the two nations more efficient and also established cultural and social bonds.
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- Bahrain was a Left Hand Drive Country while Saudi was a Right Hand Drive state just as other neighbouring states. The causeway led to changing the driving system of Bahrain.
- The construction of the causeway took 5 years and costed $800 Million.
- It is the 27th longest bridge in the world
- The King Fahd Causeway offers a picturesque long drive for the 25,000 vehicles that use it everyday
- The causeway is a four lane road with a to and fro route each of which is 11.6 metres wide
- As per an expansion plan, the King Fahd Causeway is supposed to be expanded in terms of number of lanes and a commercial centre at a suitable sport on the Bahrain Side of the Causeway that will have restaurants, coffee shops, and other basic amenities.
