Five years on since the Arab uprisings, the oil-rich Gulf Arab states have proven to be resilient to the unprecedented protests that swept the region. In keeping with the authoritarian durability thesis, Michael Ross (2001) attribute regime survival to a combination of repression effect, spending effect and group-formation effect. While the use of coercive power remains largely intact across the MENA region, there has been little research on the use of soft power and nation branding strategies in authoritarian regimes in the post-Arab spring. This study attempts to fill this gap by looking at the intersection of nation branding, regime stability, and cultural and business tourism in Bahrain after the Arab uprisings in 2011. Rooted in Nye’s theory of soft power in international relations, Szondi (2008) defines nation branding as the economic, political, and social self-promotion with the aim of enhancing and creating national reputation at home and abroad. By focusing on the interplay between business and cultural tourism, I contend that Bahrain’s state-sponsored nation branding agenda targets both domestic and international audiences through the use of more subtle means of power and influence, namely through global marketing strategies, museums, heritage sites, public spaces, and the hosting and sponsoring of public events. Nation branding and soft power strategies are pivotal for Bahrain due to the dwindling oil reserves relative to its GCC counterparts, and the volatility of longstanding socio-political issues. Pushing the debate beyond the dominant discourse of political realism, I argue that Bahrain has been using soft power as a medium for creating a public narrative centered on the ruling family’s legitimacy as founders of modern Bahrain while projecting a national image as a regional financial hub. While the preliminary findings suggest that nation-branding has no direct effect on averting geopolitical and geoeconomic risks, the prevalent use of soft power implies that 1) nation branding and efforts to promote economic development are critical to maintaining a public front of political resilience; 2) nation branding has implications for promoting nationalism and public diplomacy; 3) soft power, beyond shaping foreign policy objectives, is linked to enhancing national image both domestically and internationally. Observations are drawn from official documents and press statements released by the government, business and cultural tourism advertisements, interviews with stakeholders, and visits to public spaces: museums, heritage sites, and highway murals.