Preparations have already begun on Gulf Expo 2018
Gulf Sports Expo, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s largest ever sports exhibition, held a ceremony to honour its participants, sponsors and supporters. The exhibition, held from the 17th to the 19th of May at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Conference Centre, drew hundreds of visitors. It was held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Charity Works and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee, who attended on the final day. It also received key sponsorship from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, with HE Hisham Al-Jowder the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs also touring the expo at its opening.
The exhibition was organised by HANO Consultancy, a leading Bahrain-based events management company. A first in the Kingdom’s history, it brought together more than 30 companies and brands to showcase the latest sports products and services, and to hold various mini tournaments. Participating were local and international athletes, sports industry professionals and organisations, and enthusiasts from Bahrain, the GCC and other Arab countries. HANO has also begun preparing for next year’s event, which is expected to be bigger than this year’s with more exhibitor space. Exact dates will be announced later.
HANO Consultancy Chairman, Fawaz Baqer said: “This was a massive effort by all parties involved. It took a lot of preparations to go from concept to reality, but at the end, we managed to create a milestone event in Bahrain’s history. I would like to thank His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa for his unwavering support, which was a motivating factor in making this event a reality, and HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy President of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport and President of Bahrain Athletics Association, for his contributions in bringing Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to the event. I would also like to thank Bahrain Basketball Association President, Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, for all his efforts and for the participation of one of the most popular sports in Bahrain. Finally, without the support of HE Mr. Al Jowder, this event could not have been so successful.”
HANO Consultancy Chief Executive Officer, Fadhel Mirza said: “This is the first sports expo to be held in Bahrain on this scale and it is gratifying to see so much interest from so many people. Thanks to the success of the expo, we are also happy to confirm that this was the first of what is going to be an annual event. We are delighted to contribute this new addition to the sports community in the Kingdom and we hope that it becomes a source of inspiration for Bahrain’s current and future generations of athletes.”
In addition to the exhibiting companies, several tournaments were open to registration for the public and took place on the sidelines of the expo, including football, basketball, Taekwondo, Jiu-Jitsu, junior tennis, and video games, with all winners receiving airline tickets to various destinations from the Kingdom’s national carrier, Gulf Air, which was the event’s strategic partner. Visitors were also treated to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) demonstrations throughout the show.