Real third world stuff this, not sure about the 'humanistic' element there PJ.
Well, yeah, you are right and I know what you mean. Still, better than the Oman DGCAM stuff that we were under (as far as I can read).
As I understand it, the CAP 371 standard that was used in writing the Bahrain ANTR's is a previous edition-- not the current one (nor even the last one). And from this, Gulf Air has received several other regulatory exemptions.
Many of the region's airlines benefit from extremely cooperative regulators, or in the case of the UAE, regulators that are headed by the same individual who heads the airline, maintenance organization, airport services company, etc. No surprise then when they raised the maximum number of hours per year that UAE air carrier pilots can fly. It really creates a great business environment for UAE airlines (one that almost any airline manager would envy)-- relatively cheap, easily-available labor (look at cabin crew, etc), cheap fuel, leanient regulations, cooperative (to an incestuous extreme) regulators. Because they are our direct competitors, the heat is on for us also in Bahrain.
Unfortunately, this is a problem in many other parts of the world also-- no, I am not saying Western Europe or English-speaking North America, but many others. It is evident when you walk into the local regulator and see the national airline's mousepad by the inspector's computer, and he is drinking his coffee out of a mug that has the local airline's logo on it.
I agree in principle with a reasonable, workable regulator who takes the realities of business in mind. Unfortunately, this becomes a very gray and murky area.