[Bahrain] Riots: Violent demonstration

Supply-chain Risk Briefing: Bahrain Protests

1. Summary

On March 20, 2025, protesters including the February 14 Youth Coalition held violent demonstrations in Bahrain's capital Manama, blocking roads and burning tires during solidarity protests for political prisoners. Currently assessed as a 'low' grade localized incident, but continuous monitoring is necessary given Bahrain's strategic location.

2. Supply-chain impact

• Oil & gas transport routes: Bahrain's location in the core Persian Gulf region poses potential for indirect impact on regional energy transport if protests spread
• Air transport: Bahrain International Airport serves as a Middle East aviation hub, so escalation of protests in the capital area could cause logistics delays
• Financial services: As Bahrain is the Gulf region's financial center, continued instability could affect trade finance and payment systems
• Aluminum production: Potential for labor disputes or transport disruptions at major industrial facilities like Bahrain's Alba aluminum plant

3. Watch points

• Protest scale expansion: Need to track whether protests spread beyond the capital area to industrial zones or port areas
• Saudi-Bahrain Causeway: Need to monitor for disruptions to logistics movement through the nearby King Fahd Causeway