The habits that keep you safe at home can get you robbed abroad

Interior Ministry advice urges people to stay alert, protect their belongings and avoid treating foreign destinations like home.

- Keep your phone in your hand, not on the cafe table.

The habits that are perfectly safe in Bahrain can make travellers vulnerable to theft abroad.

That is the message from Colonel Osama Bahar of the Interior Ministry, whose advice to Bahrainis travelling this summer begins with a simple observation. Bahrain is a country where people can leave their belongings without a second thought, because that is what a safe place allows. Other countries have good people too, he said, but they also have people watching for exactly that kind of carelessness.

His advice starts before departure. Arrive at the airport early to avoid crowds, and download the Hukoomati application beforehand so important documents are available on your phone.

Children come next. Keep your eyes on them throughout the journey, he said, because they are your responsibility.

Then come your belongings. Watch your bags and never lose sight of them, particularly your phone. Do not handle your possessions abroad the way you would at home, especially in street-side cafes, where he advised against leaving anything on the table. Keep your things beside you and in your hand.

When it comes to money, his advice is blunt: guard your bank card, never give anyone your PIN, and never let another person use your phone or belongings.

If a stranger makes an unusual request, he said, decline politely and move on.

He stressed that every traveller is an ambassador for Bahrain, judged by their manners and how they treat others, and that the country is waiting for them to return safely.