Year 2011 marked a turning point in the contemporary history of the Middle East as the region witnessed the culmination of political upheavals, commonly known under the name of the Arab Spring. Bahrain is an exceptional case among the countries affected by the political revolts. It is the only monarchy of the Arabian Gulf, where the protests could potentially have posed a danger to the current political system. Nonetheless, the monarchy under the rule of the dynasty of Al-Khalifa survived the blow unchanged. Demonstrations were pacified and contained to areas inhabited by the Shi’a population. The aim of this article is to analyse the factors that led to the upheaval as well as to assess why the royal dynasty eventually consolidated the power in their hands. The article allows for a deeper understanding of the resilience of monarchy in the Arabian Gulf.
