“We already know it. It is an amazing place and we love it here,” she said. “We have teachers who did not want to go home and have spent decades in Bahrain.”

The Kingdom was given high marks by expats as a place to work and raise a family and for making foreigners feel welcome, an international survey said.

Nearly nine in 10 expats (87 per cent) said they are happy with their lives in Bahrain, a country that offers them everything they need, Expat Insider 2017 Survey Report said.

“More than 12,500 respondents representing 166 nationalities and living in 188 countries or territories answered our questions, providing unique insights into what it means to be an expat in 2017,” said Expat Insider, one of the largest surveys worldwide offering an in-depth analysis of expat life across the globe.

‘Paradise Island’

Bulgarian Svetlana Prodanova, operations manager with a media company, has one major description for Bahrain: “The Paradise Island”.

“When I think Bahrain, it is always the Paradise Island,” she said.

“After 17 years in Bahrain, I feel Bahrain is my second home. As strange as it may sound, I love the weather in Bahrain; with its sunshine, easy-going, kind, and welcoming people, Bahrain is the place where my heart will remain forever. Bahrain changes you. It makes you a better person, more calm and tolerant — because that is the character of the people.”

More on this article at http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/bahrain/bahrain-ranked-top-destination-for-expatriates-and-they-agree-1.2086490