Bahrain operates on Arabia Standard Time (AST), which is 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+3). The entire country follows a single timezone and does not observe daylight saving time.
Manama, the capital, along with Muharraq, Riffa, and other cities all follow AST. Bahrain shares its timezone with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, and Yemen.
Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands and was the first Gulf state to discover oil (1932). The Bahrain International Circuit hosts Formula 1 races, including historic night races. The country is home to the Tree of Life, a 400-year-old mesquite tree that survives in the desert with no obvious water source. Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia by the 25 km King Fahd Causeway.