Bahrainis with a sweet tooth have long been spoiled for choice between a wide array of dessert franchises, but traditional confectioners still hold their ground, especially during Ramadan. At the back of his modest shop in the capital Manama, Mohammed Gharib stirs a thick mixture of sugar, saffron and freshly blanched almonds, transforming it into a uniquely Bahraini version of the ubiquitous Middle Eastern dessert: halva. “Bahrain became famous for its confectioneries by being a pioneer in this industry in the Gulf region,” Gharib told AFP, adding that their popularity of its establishments “…