I was also in Bahrain for a bout a year and a half with the military. It is what you make of it. True, it is a small dirty island, but there are some positive points to it. I would go back and fly there, but anything more than a couple of years would really wear on me. The social life revolves around where you are going out to eat or drink. The rugby club was a great place to meet other expats, but the social life is a little bit like a fish bowl. The FAs are beautiful, but that pool is also like a fish bowl.. If you single, and a pilot with the company, you will have a reputation and the girls will know who you are quickly since they have nothing better to do than sit in the back of the plane and talk on long trips. A long term relationship at GA is about 3 months.. So that gets old quick.. Not to generalize, but most of the FA have issues there..