The Persian Gulf nation of 1.5 million (map) is 82% Muslim, 11% Christian, and 6% Hindu. While Islam is the official religion, Bahrain has permitted the construction of a cathedral that seats 2,300.

Bishop Paul Hinder, Apostolic Vicar for Northern Arabia, Archbishop Eugene Nugent, Apostolic Nuncio in Bahrain and Kuwait, and Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples were present at the cathedral’s opening.