The ABO and Rh Blood Groups in Bahrain, Arabian Gulf

The ABO and Rh blood groups and gene frequencies among Bahrainis as well as members of the Islamic Shi’a and Sunni sects of Bahrain are reported and compared with those reported from other populations in the Arabian Gulf. There is no significant difference in the ABO frequencies between the two sects in Bahrain but a significant difference is seen in the Rh frequencies of these two sects. The ABO and Rh frequencies among the Shi’a and Sunni of Bahrain are similar to those reported for the corresponding sects in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia. The Kuwaities and Iranians have a higher incidence of gene A and a lower incidence of the allele for type O than do the Bahraini or the Saudi Arabians. The Rh frequencies of the Arabs of the Iranian coast of the Gulf were different from those of the indigenous Persian population as well as from those of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia