Engagement parties or “melchas” in Bahrain can also be “henna” or “jelwa” events. They either substitute or are followed by wedding parties few months (or a couple of years) later.
With a name meaning 'Two Seas' it is little wonder that Bahrain, an archipelago of 33 islands in the Gulf, defines itself in relation to the water that surrounds its shallow shores.
Bahrain is a generally flat and arid archipelago in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia.