Consumer Habits Shift as Bahrain Card Spending Hits BD1.69bn
Bahrain shoppers spent BD1.69 billion on cards in the first five months of 2026, but the headline sum masks a sharp change in where the money went as war fears first pushed households towards food, then gave way to restaurants, shopping, travel and leisure.
Card spending reached BD370.4 million in May, the highest monthly total of the year so far and BD11.4 million, or 3.2pc, above the BD359 million recorded in May 2025, according to Central Bank of Bahrain data.
The climb came after a very different March.
Payments fell to BD311 million that month from BD343.6 million in February, a drop of BD32.6 million, or 9.5pc. Yet food spending rose.
Supermarket payments increased from BD44.9 million in February to BD49 million in March, up 9.1pc. Restaurant spending also rose, from BD25.5 million to BD27.2 million, a gain of 6.7pc.
Together, supermarkets and restaurants drew BD76.2 million in March, or 24.5pc of all spending on Bahrain-issued cards.
That share had been 20.5pc in February and 18.6pc in January.
In other words, almost one dinar in every four spent by card in March went on groceries or eating out.
The change came as war in the region fed concern over supplies and drove some shoppers to buy basic goods in advance. Government bodies and food firms sought to calm fears, saying stocks were sound, imports were continuing and strategic reserves could meet Bahrain’s needs for months.
Still, the figures show more money moving towards food and everyday needs during March.
By May, that pattern had begun to unwind.
Total card spending rose by BD59.4 million between March and May, but supermarket payments fell from BD49 million to BD45.2 million, down BD3.8 million, or 7.8pc.
Restaurants went the other way.
Spending climbed from BD27.2 million in March to BD37 million in May, an increase of BD9.9 million, or 36.3pc, in two months.
The gap between supermarket and restaurant spending shrank from BD21.8 million to just BD8.2 million.
Food spending across both categories still rose overall, from BD76.2 million in March to BD82.2 million in May, suggesting some money moved from grocery aisles to restaurant tables as normal routines returned.
Across the first five months as a whole, government services took the largest slice of card payments.
They drew BD433.5 million, equal to 25.7pc of the BD1.69 billion total.
The category covers court payments, maintenance, child support, fines, bail, tax bills, government postal services and transactions between state bodies, so the figure goes well beyond ordinary household spending.
Telecommunications came next at BD216.5 million, only just ahead of supermarkets at BD216.3 million.
Restaurants took BD146.3 million, while cars, vehicle sales, servicing and spare parts accounted for BD113.7 million. Health spending stood at BD69.5 million.
May also brought a sharp rise in several types of spending as Eid Al Adha drew closer.
Payments for clothes and footwear jumped from BD10 million in April to BD15.3 million in May, up 53.3pc.
Jewellery spending rose from BD6.4 million to BD9.4 million, a gain of 46.2pc.
Travel payments, which had sunk below BD1 million in March, recovered to BD2.56 million in May.
Family entertainment and tourism spending almost doubled from BD2.38 million to BD4.6 million, up 93.3pc.
Spending on cars, sales, servicing and spare parts also rose, from BD20.5 million in March to BD24.75 million in May, an increase of 20.7pc.
The overall amount spent by card has changed little from a year ago. Where Bahrain’s money is going, however, has changed far more: food took a larger share during March’s war jitters, before restaurants, clothes, jewellery, travel and leisure gained ground in May.
===BOX ===
May spending rebounds across key sectors
Clothes & footwear: BD15.3m — up 53.3% from April
Jewellery: BD9.4m — up 46.2%
Travel: BD2.56m in May, recovering from below BD1m in March
Family entertainment & tourism: BD4.6m — up 93.3%
Cars, servicing & spare parts: BD24.75m in May — up 20.7% from March
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