Over 6,000 people, mostly from neighboring Gulf countries, paid a visit to the three-day ‘Bahrain Gaming Experience 2016’ organized by the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority in cooperation with Sony.
Headlining the event was the ‘FIFA 16’ tournament bringing together 1,024 participants battling it out for the grand prize. The event was the largest of its kind in the region. Nineteen year old Bahraini, Mohammed Al Iraaj, won the competition and the grand prize, a brand-new Mini Copper, followed by Bahraini Naser Al Rayes, who won USD10,000, while Kuwaiti Ahmed Jaber came in third place and won USD5,000.
Commenting on the event, Shaikh Khaled Bin Humood Al Khalifa, Acting Chief Executive of the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority said that: “We are proud of the success achieved in hosting the Bahrain Gaming Experience, the first event to be held under the umbrella of ‘Manama Capital of Gulf Tourism 2016’.”
“The event witnessed an huge participation and attendance from Gulf nationals. Our main mission is to host events that further add value to Bahrain’s hospitality and tourism sector,” said Shaikh Khalid.
Winner of the ‘FIFA 16’ tournament, Mohammed Al Iraaj, commented on his win saying that, “I am delighted to win the tournament. I have taken part in many competitions in Bahrain and across the region, the last competition I took part in was held in Dubai two months ago. I always reach the quarter finals. However to win, and for the first time in my country, the feeling in indescribable.”
The ‘Manama Gulf Capital of Tourism’ initiative aims to strengthen the development of two-way tourism between the GCC countries and its people, as well as familiarize the historic cities and civilizations of the region. A number of events and activities will be held throughout the year.