Economic reform is key to the future of a region which needs to diversify away from dependency on oil, or a reliance on international funding. There has been both resistance and progress so far.
Bahrain's oil sector is relatively small for the Gulf. So, the kingdom has been an early adopter of economic diversification and has harnessed the advantage of a well-developed education sector.
Amid competition for influence and resources, Russia knows that Africa is a market with potential. For African states, Russian companies are still of interest, but the value equation needs to change