A genotypic study was undertaken to characterize the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator gene mutations (CFTR) in the Bahraini cystic fibrosis (CF) population using a polymerase chain reaction-based direct gene test to search for 15 common CF mutations amongst Arabs. During the period October 2000 to May 2001, 19 patients (12 males and seven females; aged at time of study between 4 months and 14 years with a mean age of 5.4 +/- 4.3 years) from 13 families were recruited in the study. Patients were diagnosed as having CF, based on a typical clinical picture and sweat chloride levels > 60 mmol/l and were screened for CFTR mutations. The rate of consanguinity among the families was 77 per cent. Eight mutations were detected in 21 of the 26 alleles examined. The overall detection rate was approximately 81 per cent. The allele frequency of the eight mutations was estimated to be approximately 73 per cent. There was no specific phenotypic pattern that correlated with a specific genotype. All families except two were of Bahraini origin. Of the eight mutations detected, four were common among Bahrainis (2043delG > 548A --> T > 4041C --> G = deltaF508, in order of decreasing frequency), accounting for 66 per cent of the Bahraini CF alleles. However, we also detected four different heterozygous mutations, namely: 1161delC, 1756G -->T, 3120 + 1G --> A, and 3661A --> T, accounting for 16 per cent of the Bahraini CF alleles.