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maybe it was this described influx of foreign male workers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Saudi_Arabia

That makes sense, Bahrain is even more unusual, presumably for the same reason. With women in the area more likely to be out of the public eye, it must appear to be a surreal culture of almost only men. http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/bahrain-population-pyrami...

If you've lived in a place with a more balanced gender ratio, walking around in a gulf country can be very jarring.

At least in UAE, female Arab nationals are out of the public eye, but non Arab females go to malls, walk around, drive cars, and are out and about. But yes, it's still odd to see the gender imbalance if you aren't used to it.

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