General Information » Essential Info » Police

Police in Bahrain are divided into Public Security forces and Traffic Police. The Public Security officers wear pale green uniforms, while Traffic Police uniforms are white in the summer and light green and white in the winter. The majority of Public Security police are armed with handguns, but when on duty guarding strategic locations, such as embassies and ministries, they tend to be better armed.

Traffic police cars are white and black, with blue lights on the roof. Public Security vehicles are mostly SUVs and are generally dark blue, again with blue lights on the roof. While the police are generally approachable, many of them speak no English, so may not be much help if you are lost. The emergency number for the police in Bahrain is 999. To report a traffic accident, the number is 199. However, for accidents where the cars can be moved, the drivers should go directly to one of the Traffic Directorate offices and obtain an accident report from there (see Driving p.26). In some instances, the local police station will direct you to the nearest post office (confusing!) where a motorcycle cop is on duty to register minor accidents.