Citizenship as a Bahraini Government Tool

The Bahraini Royal Charity Organization and the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organization signed an agreement Sept. 10 to build four schools for children at a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan. The agreement highlights Bahrain's increasing involvement with Jordan's Syrian refugees. More important, Bahrain — with the support of Saudi Arabia — has begun a process to naturalize Sunni Syrian refugees in an effort to augment the minority Sunni population amid rising Shiite dissent. 

These efforts are only one way in which Persian Gulf countries are trying to capitalize on the crisis in Syria. However, this initiative is unlikely to make a significant impact on Bahrain's Sunni population for several years. In the meantime, it could upset the country's delicate security situation.