Wall Streeet Journal: "Upon Sober Reflection, Bahrain Reconsiders the Wages of Sin Island Reliant Upon Debauched Visits From Thirsty Saudis..."
After having been to Bahrain two times, I completely empathize with the dilemma Bahrainis feel about the problems of alcohol and sex commerce caused by Saudi's tourism refugees. Why must Saudi Arabia's prohibitive domestic policy have so many negative externalities for the rest of us who would like to simply have a glass of wine in a non-sleazy bar?
By YAROSLAV TROFIMOV
MANAMA, Bahrain -- Every weekend, bumper-to-bumper traffic blocks the causeway into this small island nation as visitors from nearby Saudi Arabia flock to delights unavailable at home: movie theaters, bars and, for some, commercial sex.
With few other attractions, Bahrain's booming tourism industry thrives on the island's reputation as a freewheeling oasis just a short drive from major Saudi cities. Bahrain has little oil of its own; tourism, mostly by the four million Saudis who cross the causeway each year, accounts for a tenth of its economy.
All of this is endangered, as Bahraini legislators press to scrap the country's drinking laws -- currently the most liberal in the Persian Gulf -- and to impose near-total prohibition.
"I'm sorry to say, but Bahrain has become the brothel of the Gulf, and our people are very upset about it," says parliamentarian Adel Maawdah, one of the promoters of the new legislation. "It's not only the drinking that we oppose, but also what it drags with it: prostitution, corruption, drugs and people-trafficking...." (for full article, click here)
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