The fourth-edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival – ‘Shop Bahrain’ – is set to be the biggest nationwide Festival with a unique line-up of events and entertainment, a fantastic shopping experience and numerous prizes. The 30-day event, aimed at celebrating the Kingdom’s hospitality and tourism offering, will kick off on January 11th and will run until the 10th February 2018.
The Festival, organized by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), is held in cooperation with partners from the public and private sector such as Tamkeen, YK Al Moayyed, VIVA Bahrain and Gulf Air.
The event will kick-start the Kingdom’s robust 2018 tourism calendar and will include an impressive line-up of activities and promotions for the entire family to enjoy including numerous prizes and raffle draws.
“The fourth-edition of the Festival aims to further drive the growth of the tourism and retail sector by attracting residents and tourists to the numerous activities. We were keen to host the event during the holidays of our Gulf neighbors in order to attract a large number of tourists to flock the country,” said the Chief Executive of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa.
“This year we have over 27 hotels participating and have also witnessed an increase in the participating shopping malls that reached 22 malls. The Taste Tour alone will also feature 44 restaurants. Also the prizes for the festival include airline tickets and over 20 brand-new cars from YK Al Moayyed,” he added.
“The Kingdom’s tourism strategy aims to increase the average tourist expenditure in Bahrain to reach BHD100 per day. Shop Bahrain will be a main driver as it will offer tourists a 30-day celebration catered to the entire family. The activities and entertainment held during Shop Bahrain will further position the Kingdom as an ideal tourist destination,” said Shaikh Khaled.
Tamkeen’s Chief Executive Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi stressed that Tamkeen continues to support Shop Bahrain for the fourth year in a row due to its proven track record of energizing the retail sector in the Kingdom.
“The festival has a positive impact on various sectors in the Kingdom such as retail, hospitality, transportation and so forth. It also portrays the true partnership between the public an private sector and aims to position Bahrain as an ideal tourism destination in the region,” he added.
Among the highlights of the event is a unique shopping experience witnessed across the participating malls along with a number of entertainment activities for the entire family. The calendar of events also includes a ‘Festival City’ located at the Bahrain Bay which will host a variety of activities and carnival games for all age groups as well a market, live performances and acts in both English and Arabic and entertainment.
Other highlights include the return of the ‘Taste Tour’ which aims to showcase over 40 mouth-watering restaurants. Also the excitement doesn’t end here, shoppers registered in the Festival’s loyalty system found at participating hotels and shopping malls will be able to enroll in raffle draws. Shop Bahrain will also be covered by a number of local and regional social media influencers with an aim of promoting the festival to a larger audience.
Further commenting on the Festival, Shop Bahrain Director, Yousef Mohammed Al Khan said: “The Festival this year will create an unforgettable calendar of events for the entire family including many surprises, exciting range of in-mall activities and valuable prizes. This year we launched a dedicated app for the festival aimed at informing locals, residents and tourists about the latest promotions, activities and the latest updates on customer’s the loyalty point system.”
“For event BD10 spent by the shopper, they will be eligible to enter the raffle draw to enter fabulous prizes including 20 brand new cars. Shoppers can register for the system through kiosks located at participating shopping malls and hotels,” he added.
Meanwhile, Director at YK Al Moayyed, Mohammed Al Moayed said: “Our partnership with Shop Bahrain is in line with our strategy to support national events and initiatives that stimulates the economy. We aim to work hand-in-hand with the public and private sectors to support the Kingdom’s 2030 Economic Vision.”
Furthermore, VIVA Bahrain CEO, Ulaiyan Al Wetaid, said: “we are pleased to partner up with the largest shopping event in the Kingdom for the second year in a row. This festival is the launch pad to promote Bahrain’s tourism and retail sector. The festival provides a tremendous opportunity on both the economic and social front and also fosters partnership between the public and private sector and creates job opportunities. Our cooperation with BTEA and Tamkeen underlines our commitment to the community and aims to provide locals and residents to enjoy a unique experience.”
In regards to Gulf Air’s cooperation with the Festival, Gulf Air Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Captain Waleed Abdul Hameed Al Alawi, said that, “we are pleased to cooperate with Shop Bahrain for the fourth year in a row. As the national carrier, the partnership is in line with our strategy aimed at supporting the growth of the tourism sector and national economy.”
Shop Bahrain will mirror the Kingdom’s position as an accessible family destination, renowned for its close proximity to the Gulf countries with easy access through the King Fahad Causeway and the Bahrain International Airport. The Festival will offer an incredibly diverse range of retail experiences. Shoppers will be enrolled in the Festival’s loyalty system when purchasing directly from any participating outlet and partner allowing them to win a wide range of prizes.
Shoppers and visitors can learn more about “Shop Bahrain” through the website: www.shopbahrain.com or through the account @shopbahrain on the social networking channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.