Shi'a Muslims tend to do menial work and have a lower standard of living. The most impoverished Shi'a Muslims tend to be of Persian descent. Bahrain has a smaller expatriate population than many other Arab countries. The ruling al-Khalifa family has responded to declining oil reserves by diversifying the economy to provide service industry jobs for Bahrainis. Bahrain is the most liberal of the Gulf states.
Alcohol is freely available.
Women have access to education and are not obliged to wear the veil. Arranged marriages, however, remain common.