Should I just buy a local SIM at Bahrain International Airport?

Bahrain has one of the strictest SIM registration regimes of any travel destination, requiring passport, fingerprint capture, and annual identity re-verification on every local SIM since 2017. Local SIMs at the airport cost between 2 and 7 BHD ($5–$19), and the registration process at Batelco, STC, or Zain kiosks takes 10 to 20 minutes including the biometric step. The ETravelSim Bahrain eSIM installs at home before you fly, requires no documentation, and connects the moment you land in Manama.