Bahrain has been getting a lot of attention in the British media as the preferred destination of WAGS (an acronym used to refer to wives and girlfriends of high-profile sportsmen) whose partners have signed up for lucrative playing and coaching posts in neighbouring Saudi Arabia, writes Stanley Szecowka.
The kingdom’s high-end restaurants, nightlife, luxury fashion label shops and freedom have been highlighted as among the reasons.
“While the players are taking their talents to the Saudi Pro League, a neighbouring country has become a hot-spot for players’ wives and partners,” noted Daily Mail reporter Kieran Lynch. “Bahrain has emerged as a potential base for the families of those heading to Saudi Arabia.”
Cristiano Ronaldo was the first big-name star to make the move at the end of 2022, and with huge wages on offer, the likes of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy and Ruben Neves have since followed suit.
As exclusively reported in the GDN, former Liverpool ace and Aston Villa coach Steven Gerrard visited
St Christopher’s School in Saar to check out places for his youngest children and was happily photographed with the school’s Bahraini security staff.
“Bahrain is a prime location for those who have moved out to Saudi Arabia – with the capital of Manama just 43 miles (69km) away from Dammam – where Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq are based,” Lynch added.
“The Saudi capital of Riyadh is just under 300 miles (about 480km) from Manama so even for those who have decided to stay in Saudi such as Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez, Bahrain is an easy place to visit.
“It has become a popular destination for those that live in the more conservative state of Saudi Arabia, with people known to flood the tiny nation of Bahrain on weekends.
“So WAGS’ have been living it up in Bahrain to get away from the stricter rules that apply in Saudi Arabia.
“And, when you look at what there is to offer in Bahrain it’s no surprise. The country has a large number of high-end restaurants.”
The Gerrard’s may soon be joined by more familiar faces as Liverpool pair Jordan Henderson and Fabinho are
among those strongly linked with moves to Saudi Arabia, Mailonline suggests.
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