Gulf Air was/is the long established carrier in the the region, and the expertise of its staff, and it's history of worldwide operation, contacts etc. has helped many new airlines in the region (and some slightly further afield) start their own operation. This includes but is not limited to the obvious ones such as Qatar, Etihad, Air Arabia, but also includes airlines outside the gulf such as Jet Airways.
In almost all these airlines you might have or might still find many ex-GF staff plying their trade, some occupying high management positions. Almost all, unfortunately or fortunately, are now employees of airlines that have far surpassed GF in almost all areas. I believe this is what Ironbutt may be alluding to. The heritage of GF lives on, but it isn't in Bahrain.