Asma Khaled
Natural resources were a major factor in building old economies, and it was like the first engine of human activities and societal stability. The Bahrain region was no exception to this, as its natural circumstances and geographical location played a decisive role in its prosperity during the Islamic ages, so it made it a meeting point between the civilizations of the East and the West, and an active center for commercial exchange across land and sea. This interaction between nature and man contributed to the emergence of a diversified economy, which was able to withstand the environmental and political challenges in that era, which reflects the depth of the relationship between the abundance of natural resources and the stability of societies and their economic prosperity.
On the level of natural factors, the geographical location played a pivotal role, as the site of the Bahrain region east of the Arabian Peninsula and its wide view of the coast of the Arabian Gulf had an impact on building land and free trade relations with Basra, Persia Ports, East Africa, India, China and the outskirts of the Arabian Peninsula, and the importance of this geographical location, especially in the era of the Umayyad state, has increased, while seeking to stimulate trade in the Arabian Gulf, then reinforced the importance of the coasts And the areas of Bahrain more in the Abbasid era after the transfer of the headquarters of the caliphate to Baghdad and the interest of the Abbasids in securing the eastern trade routes across the Arab Gulf and Bahrain. The distinguished Bahrain site contributed, along with the abundance of its coasts, the diversity of its terrain, and its warm desert climate – where the temperatures rise in summer and moderate in winter with limited rains – in increasing economic activities, prosperity and diversity, where fishing, diving profession, pearl hunting, trade, navigation and marine trade, where Bahrain merchants played the role of the mediator in transporting goods between East and West, in addition On the emergence and spread of markets in multiple aspects and the emergence of land trade, whether between the areas of Bahrain or between the cities of Bahrain and the sides of the Arabian Peninsula. One of the important professions that was associated with natural factors and has become the importance of economic agriculture, which has been associated with the abundance of groundwater, where the eyes and the presence of fertile soil, especially in the oases and coastal plains, have spread of palm, grains, almonds, and other summer and winter crops. In addition to the emergence of some industries and the spread of grazing in the Bahrain Valley, strengthening the economic structure of the region.
In conclusion, it is clear that the natural resources were a pivotal factor in the prosperity of the Bahrain region during the Islamic ages, which is a basis that can be built on the present. Today, with Bahrain’s adoption of an ambitious economic vision represented by Vision 2030, the benefit of natural resources has become part of a comprehensive strategy that seeks to achieve sustainable development, through the balance between economic growth, environmental preservation and ensuring social justice. There is no doubt that investing these resources in a conscious and sustainable manner enhances the Kingdom’s ability to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on expensive sources, which establishes its position as a renewed economic center that draws inspiration from the past lessons to build a prosperous and balanced future.
