BEST OF

bahrain
Volume 1
 Profitable partnerships.
Every step of the way.
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www.ithmaarbank.com
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 Health and Beauty

2
Best of Bahrain
 Welcome to Bahrain!
If you are reading this you are already part of a truly global way of life and are
entering our Global Village arena where we showcase our country, our people
and our culture and the opportunities that exist in becoming a part of our
present and future. Global Village Partnerships and the “Best of” series is a
fast growing international media group and “Best of Bahrain” is a first step in
introducing the Kingdom on a positive note to our global audience.
 
We feature the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Vision 2030, Business Friendly orientation
as the Government focuses on the development of the community and our
international business and investment relations. Our genuine hospitality as
people in lifestyle and business is unrelenting and synergetic with all of Bahrain’s
citizens and residents. Our goal has been to exhibit the diversity with as
many key players and initiatives as possible from top organizations to singular
entrepreneurs and talented individuals who are contributing to the successful
growth of this Kingdom. There are many more still to showcase in future
editions of “Best of Bahrain” and on our online social networking portal for
Rawia Beyhum - Publisher businesses www.GVPedia.com.
 
We are lucky to have been firstly supported by Bahrain’s Economic
Development Board, who are our ambassadors to the Kingdom encouraging
and inviting the global audience to merge amongst its establishments and set
up base here. We proudly recognize the guidance of His Royal Highness the
Prime Minister’s Court and all of Bahrain’s ministries, who saw the importance
and potential of this publication in providing a neutral voice to the Kingdom. In
our discovery of the Kingdom we have witnessed kindness, traditional values
and unique talents that contribute to the wholeness of life here. We are proud to
present to you this inaugural edition that will be eclipsed in the next editions of a
small nation with a world to offer.
 
Please make sure to visit Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB) on
www.bahrain.com and the Kingdom’s e-Government portal www.bahrian.bh
during your stay for further information on the Kingdom of Bahrain. 

This publication would not have been possible without the support from our
participating businesses, entrepreneurs, individual talents and the staff of Middle
East Media (MEM) our media partner in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
  
Rawia Beyhum
Publisher

International Group Publisher Sven Boermeester

Bahrain Publishing Partner Middle East Media Marketing L.L.C.
Publisher Rawia Beyhum
Project Manager Lisa Ashworth
Production GVPedia Communications
Editors Lisa Durante, Reena Raghavamoorthy
Creative Direction Peter Batistich
Images List of Photography Contributors see Index on page 188
Information Sources Economic Development Board (EDB), Ministry of Culture & Information, Vision 2030

ISBN # 978-0-620-39819-0

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information in The Best of Bahrain Vol. 1.
Neither Best of Bahrain nor GVPedia Communications cc assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

All rights reserved: No part of this publication shall be reproduced, copied, transmitted, adapted or modified in any form or by
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Best of Bahrain 3
 Business Friendly Bahrain
Best of Bahrain

“Bahrain provides a free, open and transparent environment for

businesses and has a globally competitive, value-creation story
which focuses on sustainability, skills and good governance.”
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the EDB.
O ver the past century,
Bahrain has led the Gulf
in many different areas, from
oil exploitation to finance
and education. This has
given Bahrainis their uniquely
sophisticated outlook, which
supports a core culture of
openness and freedom, and lies
at the heart of everything they do.
Bahrain is the Gateway to the
Gulf, with particularly favourable
access to Saudi Arabia and the
ideal business hub due to its
strategic location in the region,
excellent transport network,
and a reputation for cultural
neutrality and friendly ties with its
neighbours.
Bahrain’s free market means
that businesses are allowed
to operate freely, with minimal
red-tape and foreign ownership
restrictions. According to the
Index of Economic Freedom
2009, Bahrain is the 16th freest
economy in the world and the
freest in the Middle East. In fact,
Bahrain is the only economy
in the MENA region to rank
amongst the world’s top 20.
The Kingdom was also the first
country in the GCC to have
ratified a Free Trade Agreement
with the United States of
America.
Importantly, Bahrain has
a strong track record and its
modern international business
credentials extend well into the
decades. The financial services
sector has been thriving for nearly
40 years bringing about a certain
dependability, sustainability and
business wisdom. Bahrain also
has a tried-and-tested legal
and regulatory environment in
which investors can trust to fairly
protect their interests in an open
and transparent manner.
The quality of growth in a
country depends primarily on the
quality of its people. Bahrain’s
business sector is supported
by the most productive, highly-
skilled national work force in the
GCC. For example, 67% of the
financial services workforce is
Bahraini and education in the Shaikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive,
Economic Development Board
country is of a very high standard.
Tamkeen (formerly the Labour
Fund), has invested around $185 an authenticity about Bahrain of opportunity and optimism.”
million to train more than 19,000 that is unique to the Gulf. Low Bahrain was the first country in
Bahrainis and provide them with inflation and sustainable growth the region to diversify away from
sector-specific skills. Education also mean that quality of life is oil and gas 40 years ago. From
reforms have also been amongst the highest in the GCC, the outset, the government set
introduced to improve education especially for families. in motion a series of initiatives to
and skills training in line with encourage industry sectors which
the requirements of the private Investment can offer significant investment
sector, adopting best practice potential, based on Bahrain’s
from some of the world’s most Opportunities natural and human resources,
successful educational models. Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al global market trends and regional
Furthermore, Bahrain is an Khalifa, Chief Executive of the demands.
open, tolerant and welcoming Bahrain Economic Development Bahrain’s overall economic
society that has long respected Board (EDB): “Bahrain is the strategy is focused on the
people of all cultures, ethnicities, most diversified economy in creation of high-quality jobs in
denominations and genders. With the Gulf and our strength is in sustainable industries and value-
its multicultural society, boutique this diversification. We have a added sectors. The country
restaurants, and a thriving arts wellbalanced economy that is now carries an established
scene and café culture, there is growing with sectors and islands track record in a number of key
Best of Bahrain 5
sectors:
Financial Services
Widely regarded as the
bestregulated financial centre in
the Middle East, Bahrain has been
the region’s undisputed financial
capital for decades. The Central
Bank of Bahrain (CBB) is the sole
regulator of the entire financial
services sector.
As of November 2009,
there are 414 licensed financial
institutions based in Bahrain,
including local, regional and
international firms. Banking is
the cornerstone of the finance
industry, and has diversified into all
aspects of finance including funds,
insurances, reinsurances, Islamic
finance and capital markets. This
has created a large pool of local
talent.
The financial sector is one
of the most important and
wellestablished sectors of
Bahrain’s economy accounting
for 26.59% of Gross Domestic
Product in 2008 according to the
Central Informatics Organisation.
Banking
Bahrain’s banking system
experienced annual average
growth rates of 18 per cent
over the 2006 to 2008 period.
Bahrain’s banking sector
comprises both conventional and
Islamic banking and is the largest
segment within the Kingdom’s
finance sector.
A key feature of the banking
system in Bahrain is the rich
variety of locally incorporated and
international banks (conventional
and Islamic) that operate in the
Kingdom. Between them, these
banks provide professional
services and products to retail,
wholesale and private wealth
clients. Several locally
incorporated banks have either
branches or subsidiaries in other
countries throughout the Middle
East, Far East, Africa, Europe and
the United States. Overall, the
total consolidated balance sheet
of the banking sector reached
$218.9 billion by October 2009.
Islamic Finance
Khalid Hamad, Executive Director-
Banking Supervision, CBB: “Whilst
the underlying principles of Islamic
finance have safeguarded it
against the worst of the economic
downturn, it is Bahrain’s tried and
trusted world-class regulatory
standards that have helped attract
institutions to the country and
led to the rapid growth of Islamic
finance assets.”
Bahrain is widely recognised
as the global leader in Islamic
finance, with the largest
concentration of Islamic financial
institutions in the world. At
present, there are 27 Islamic
banks (whose assets under
management total US$25.7
billion), 18 Islamic insurance
companies (Takaful), and 1
re-Takaful firm operating in
the Kingdom. A number of
conventional banks have also
successfully integrated Islamic
products within their operations.
In addition, Bahrain is at the
forefront of the market for Islamic
securities (sukuk), including
short-term government sukuk,
as well as leasing securities.
The CBB has played a
central role in the introduction
of these products.
Funds Administration &
Management
Bahrain has a thriving funds
industry, with the first Bahrain
domiciled fund being launched
in 1984. Formal regulations
governing funds were introduced
in 1992 which encouraged the
development of a thriving fund
sector and leading to Bahrain’s
dominance as the Gulf’s regional
funds centre. As at October
2009, Bahrain was home to more
than 2,600 registered funds.
Of these, 137 are Bahrain
domiciled schemes, and 59 are
Islamic funds.
Insurance & Reinsurance
The insurance industry in
Bahrain has been growing
steadily and strongly in recent
years demonstrating double
digit growth, and mirroring the
expansion of Bahrain’s financial
sector. The Kingdom offers
the ideal environment for the
insurance industry, and with its
forwardlooking and business-
friendly regulatory regime it
hopes to sustain this growth in
the longterm. Bahrain is home to
more than 170 insurance firms.
Reinsurance is a smaller market
than the main insurance sector
in Bahrain, but it is one that is
steadily growing. An increasing
number of companies are offering
reinsurance for local companies
and using Bahrain as a base from
which to do business globally.
Takaful
With the region’s Takaful market
set to boom over the next few
years, Bahrain is rapidly being
established as the leader in
this field. Bahrain is the first
market to introduce regulations
for Takaful companies that met
with Accounting & Auditing
Organisation for Islamic Financial
Institutions (AAOIFI) standards.
Predictions at the Takaful
conference held in April 2008
suggested that the industry was
set to increase to US$10 billion
by 2015.
Sovereign Wealth Funds –
Mumtalakat
Kamal Ahmed, Chief
Operating Officer of the EDB:
“The independent ranking
of Mumtalakat as the most
transparent Sovereign Wealth
Fund in the Gulf is further proof
of the Kingdom’s commitment
to the highest standards of
accountability and robust
regulation that has created a
stable business environment.”
In 2006, Bahrain set up its own
investment vehicle, Bahrain
Mumtalakat Holding Company
with a capital of BHD2 billion.
Mumtalakat is committed to
fostering the development of
the company through greater
transparency, better accountability
and improved growth of its
investments.
_____________________________
On top of a thriving financial
services sector, the Kingdom
also has strong professional
services, logistics and
manufacturing sectors.
International businesses
already in Bahrain include
Microsoft, Kraft, BNP Paribas,
Ernst & Young, KPMG, DHL and
Standard Chartered Bank.
Business & Professional
Services
With the largest financial services
centre in the Gulf and close
proximity to Saudi Arabia’s oil
and gas markets, opportunities
for professional and business
services are abundant in Bahrain.
These include law, accountancy,
management consultancy,
marketing services, engineering
services and human resources.
Low set up costs, access to
competitively priced, skilled
labour, political and cultural
neutrality and a favourable legal
environment combine to make
Bahrain the ideal operating
environment.
Information Communication
Technology (ICT)
Bahrain boasts the Middle East’s
most liberal and advanced ICT
infrastructure and policies. The
Bahrain ICT market is expected to
reach $375 billion by 2010, due to
the high demand for IT products
and services from both public
and private sectors. The growing
need for robust IT solutions is
also being driven by massive
eGovernment and eCommerce
initiatives, aimed at achieving
economic diversification. Bahrain
offers low entrance costs and its
market is rich with opportunity.
Logistics
Bahrain is currently investing
US$2.9bn to upgrade its logistics
infrastructure. The Bahrain
Logistics Zone is fully integrated
with the new Khalifa bin Salman
port, and is in close proximity to
both the King Fahd causeway
linking Bahrain to Saudi Arabia
and the proposed Bahrain-Qatar
causeway. It is also just 13km
from Bahrain International Airport,
making it perfectly positioned as
a multimodal logistics hub for the
region.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa
Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the
EDB, said:
“The Khalifa bin Salman Port
and Bahrain Logistics Zone now
represent a world class logistics
hub right at the heart of the Gulf,
providing the ideal location from
which to tap into the almost
one trillion US dollars combined
market of the GCC countries
and its rapidly expanding, young
population.”
Automotive Industry
Bahrain has consistently stood
at the forefront of a thriving
automotive sector in the Middle
East, having joined an elite club of
18 nations by hosting the Formula
One World Championship six
times in a row. The automotive
industry in Bahrain grew by
6.8% in 2007 and a further 10%
in 2008 and the Kingdom now
has substantial expertise in the
sector, especially in motor sport
and aluminium component
manufacturing.
About the Bahrain EDB
Kamal Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer
of the EDB: “The Bahrain EDB strives
to be the catalyst for change that will
transform Bahrain into a preferred
global business destination.”
The Bahrain Economic Development
Board (EDB) is a dynamic public agency
responsible for formulating and overseeing
the economic development strategy of
Bahrain, and for creating the right climate to
attract direct investment into the Kingdom.
The role of the Bahrain EDB is to provide
leadership by uniting all of the Kingdom’s
shareholders through a unified vision, and
to develop key strategies for growth. The
Bahrain EDB also acts as a facilitator, helping
all of Bahrain’s stakeholders to understand
and adopt the changes necessary for
progress. In addition, the Bahrain EDB
provides sound project management to
ensure that all agreed reform initiatives are
implemented effectively.
The EDB is chaired by His Royal
Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain. The
EDB Board of Directors consists of 17
government ministers and 10 leading
executives from the private sector. The
Board’s composition is designed to enable
both the public and private sectors to
work closely together to achieve Bahrain’s
strategic objectives for change and growth.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa is
the Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic
Development Board.
EDB Initiatives
The Bahrain EDB has played a prominent
role in a number of important initiatives.
These include Bahrain’s hosting of the
Middle East’s first ever Formula 1TM Grand
Prix; becoming the first country in the Arab
world to fully liberalise its telecoms industry;
and establishing a Free Trade Agreement
with the United States.
The Bahrain EDB currently seeks
to attract inward investment across
several economic sectors in line with the
government’s aspirations to promote
productive and sustainable growth, as set
out in Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030,
launched in October 2008. The National
Economic Strategy provides a roadmap
for the vision, which sets the direction
for Bahrain’s future development, aiming
to build a better life for every Bahraini by
utilising the private sector as an engine
for growth and focusing on modernizing
the economy, developing new skills and
enhancing productivity and innovation.
Several economic sectors capitalise on
Bahrain’s competitive advantages and
provide significant investment opportunities.
The Bahrain EDB works to enhance the
capabilities, infrastructure and policies that
are tied to the economic sectors and to
the overall business environment. In doing
so, the EDB aims to attract foreign direct
investment in these areas and contribute to
the Kingdom’s economic growth.
The Bahrain EDB is responsible for
promoting the Kingdom of Bahrain abroad
through its overseas network of dedicated
offices, in India, Japan and Hong Kong,
and by working closely with its embassies
around the world to promote business
investment opportunities.
In addition, the Bahrain EDB offers an
investor-facilitation service to first-time
investors interested in doing business in
Bahrain. A dedicated business development
officer serves as the first point of contact
to the Kingdom, working to understand
the objectives of each investor, providing
information regarding the relevant
procedures for setting up businesses, and
helping them to develop a strong network of
contacts to successfully conduct business
in Bahrain.
Tel: +973 17 589 969
www.bahrainedb.com
Kamal Ahmed, Chief Operating
Officer, Economic Development Board
ChapterS
Best of Bahrain

Hotels & Hospitality Dining & Entertainment

42-53

54-63
Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Health, Beauty & Wellness Training, Education & CSR

108-115

116-129
Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Oil, Gas & Manufacturing Media, Communications & Technology

164-169

170-187
Chapter 10
Chapter 9

10 Best of Bahrain
 Travel, Tourism & Events Arts & Culture
64-77

78-107
Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Real Estate, Construction & Design Banking, Investment & Finance

130-149

150-163
Chapter 7

Chapter 8

BEST OF
bahrain Best of Bahrain 11
 The Court of HRH
The Prime Minister

Your Royal Highness, how
has your Government
supported the development
and diversification of Bahrain’s
economy in light of the current
difficulties and successive
global and regional crises?
Global difficulties are a testament
of Bahrain’s ability to overcome
the reality and employ it for
the realization of its interests.
Bahrain is a country of limited
space and resources. In such
a situation it is only natural to
define your ambitions within
these limitations. Faced with such
challenges Bahrain conducted
in-depth studies with a futuristic
approach that recognizes the
indispensability of developing
mechanisms for income
diversification.
These mechanisms were set
in place since the early stages
of the state formation, which in
turn contributed to witnessing
a limited negative magnitude of
the recent global crisis, keeping
Bahrain as immune as possible
under such circumstances.
We believe that any progress
is only secured via stability
and economic growth.
Simultaneously, any social or
economic development is subject
to this stability.
Therefore, as we look today
at the achievements realized
by the people of Bahrain as a
consequence of the Kingdom’s
diversification policy, we
become more confident and

12 Best of Bahrain

proud of Bahrainis ability to
change their reality and open up
new prospects for the coming
generations.
Today, Bahrain is a highly visible
financial and banking centre
with a leading international
status particularly in Islamic
Banking. Furthermore, Bahrain is
a significant centre for services,
The Royal Family, rulers of the Kingdom of Bahrain
international exhibitions and
conferences, as well as home to
many important industries such
as oil and gas related industries,
petrochemicals, aluminum,
shipbuilding and repair. We
continue to attract foreign
investments, and you only need
to take a look at the development
and investment projects in the
Kingdom to realize the success
of our policies whether those
concerned with sustainable
development or improving the
quality of life in general.
Your Royal Highness, how
do you envision the path for
economic growth in the future?
What are the possibilities of
diversifying sources of income
so as not to depend solely on
oil revenues, banking and the
real estate sectors?
In order to minimize any risks
that may impede our economic
and social development, we
constantly review our legislative
and economic policies in
accordance with specialized
studies and research. We realize
the international geographic
importance of the region we live
in, as a meeting point between
East and West, particularly the
vital and strategic location of
the Kingdom of Bahrain within
it. Therefore, we remain keen
to benefit from our location
in further attracting foreign
investment and encouraging
new ideas and initiatives that will
further strengthen our economies
and support our endeavors to
increase our development and
our growth rates.
We are also aware that this can
be achieved only by providing
a modern infrastructure in the
areas of Communication and
Technology, particularly in
Information Technology and
Telecommunications. We remain
committed to insuring that our
infrastructures are in accordance
with international standards and
expectations, especially in light of
the current intense competition to
attract direct foreign investment
and mega-projects. We believe
that it is the responsibility of the
State to provide the facilities and
incentives necessary to attract
and sustain local and foreign
investments alike.
Today we enjoy a sophisticated
communication network; we
have no monopoly in this field.
The industry is characterized by
a competitive environment that
recognizes the needs of both the
service provider and its users
with ample opportunities for
specialized companies to enter.
We currently have in place three
Telecom service providers. We
are confident that the presence of
these three companies will enrich
the telecommunications sector,
contribute to the industry’s
development and provide high
quality services for all investment
projects in the Kingdom of
Bahrain.
Best of Bahrain 13
 14 Best of Bahrain
His Royal Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa,
The Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain
In the same manner in which
we are developing our
communications, air traffic, sea
and land infrastructures, we
are developing and expanding
the Bahrain International
Airport in order to enable it to
accommodate larger numbers
of aircrafts and passengers,
transferring it into a focal airport
in the region. Furthermore, we
are developing our ports as well
to keep pace with the continued
increase in trade, especially in
transit trade, where the Kingdom
of Bahrain is a main conduit
between East and West. These
developments are imperative
for growth. The King Fahad
Causeway is also going though
constant development particularly
as a land outlet, helping to
increase mobility of trade, goods
and people between Bahrain,
Gulf States and other Countries.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has been
internationally recognized as a
leader in the field of Information
Technology, ranking 45th from
a list of ‘Country Readiness
in the field of ICT.’ In addition
the United Nations Report on
E-Government for 2010 ranked
Bahrain E-Government as first in
the Middle East, third in Asia and
13th Globally.
We continue to develop new
ideas, initiatives and proposals
that add value to our economy
and National Income, thus
enhancing and advancing the
historic role of the Kingdom of
Bahrain in developing world
Trade.
Do you believe that the global
economic indicators obtained
on Bahrain’s economy from
specialized international
institutions are sufficient
evidence for the success of
your economic policies and are
significant indicators of future
viability?
Indicators are an important part
of a number of mechanisms
designed to measure the
success of our policies,
especially since they come from
international institutions that
are impartial and specialized.
These institutions highlight to
the world, in accordance with
their predetermined standards,
the extent of development
and success witnessed in the
Kingdom of Bahrain. Yet, we
believe that one of the most
important indicators in evaluating
our economic reality is the
reflection of these achievements
on the Kingdom’s citizens and
their well-being.
As a case in point, in attracting
foreign direct investment Bahrain
is ranked first between all
Gulf States, and twelfth in this
category on the global level.
Furthermore, according to the
outward FDI Performance Index,
Bahrain ranks as the second
country in the Arabian Gulf States
and ninth internationally. These
rankings confirm, without a
doubt, that we are set on the right
path and that we have a solid
foundation on which to build our
future successes. Image by: Hanan Hassan Al Khalifa
What are the most
fundamental economic
indicators upon which your
Royal Highness depends on in
your work as Prime Minister
and Why?
We always act in accordance
with our vision and goals,
particularly the goals designed
to meet the needs of Bahraini
citizens, to provide better
services as inspirited by them,
and to raise to their aspirations
for the future. In this context, the
Government of Bahrain is based
on several main economic pillars
that include, but are not limited
to, the development of living
standards, the development
of services and facilities, the
ongoing development of projects
that bring about added value
to the national economy, and
attracting investments that
contribute to the establishment
of new projects, which in turn
provide more job opportunities
for Bahraini citizens. involvement, yet this can only be momentum. Therefore, we
achieved if they enjoy descent accord paramount attention to
Our ambitions recognize no and secure lives. sustainable development, as
limits when it comes to the we view it as the right approach
Kingdom and the well-being of What is the opinion of Your for future growth and the only
citizens. We strive to realize the Royal Highness with regards guarantor to the continuity of our
best results possible, from high to the challenges facing achievements.
standards of living to providing sustainable development in the
the best services possible, Kingdom of Bahrain? We have always believed that
specifically in social well-fair, Development is an ongoing investing in human capital
health, education and housing. process and the mechanisms should be at the heart of any
We want citizens to realize set for its realization should developmental approach
their full potential and to have be constantly reinforced and that investment, in itself,
high levels of productivity and to maintain a progressive should remain a state priority
Best of Bahrain 15
in the Kingdom of Bahrain. We
are confident in the abilities
of Bahraini citizens, whom
we consider to be the real
and sustainable wealth of the
nation in achieving further
developments in all fields.
Human development and
economic development remain
highly correlated, yet we are
firm believers in the necessity
to both maintain a balance
between the two and realize
the specific needs of each field
individually.
16 Best of Bahrain
Having said that, it becomes
only natural to refer to some of
the challenges the state faces
such as resource limitations
and varying global economic
circumstances. For example,
global financial downturns may
affect investment levels and
project building rates, while
increases in global prices for
basic commodities and goods,
in light of the subsidies we
guarantee our citizens, in turn
increase the financial burden
of the state. All these matters,
directly and indirectly, affect
State Income and thus its
capital allocation for project
development. Yet, we remain
capable of facing these
challenges, overcoming them
and indeed moving forward with
our sustainable development
policies.
How do you link investment
in different sectors with the
Kingdom of Bahrain strategy
for Vision 2030? What are
other areas of investment
you are looking to go into
to diversify sources of
income and create more job
opportunities for Bahrainis?
Investment is not an end in
itself. We strive to improve
the selection process so that
investments play a significant
role in the economy, meet the
economic needs of the country,
help transfer technological and
technical skills and support
our endeavors to train our
manpower in order to increase
their knowledge and skills. With
this vision in mind, Bahrain
has devised many investment
incentives and has worked to
improve its overall investment
climate and freedom, leading
to an internationally recognized
distinctive progress in the field.
Bahrain enjoys a solid economy
with good growth rates, which
in turn provided us with an
advantage during the recent
global economic downturn,
allowing us to be more positive
while realistic and balanced in
our outlook throughout the crisis.
The Kingdom of Bahrain was
able to avoid to a large extent
the negative impacts of the crisis
and realize a continued flow of
investments. This is a testament
of the general confidence in the
Bahraini economy and in the
security, appropriateness and
positive economic climate we
enjoy. Furthermore, it reflects
the positive response to the
new investment opportunities
and patterns we are constantly
introducing and developing,
capitalizing on what makes
Bahrain’s comparative advantage
in particular its investment
incentives and its legislative and
judiciary infrastructure.
Vision 2030 focuses the future
strategy for the development
of our national economy with
international competitiveness in
mind. In this context, the private
sector is to become the catalyst
for growth creating, among other
things, ample opportunities for
citizens to work in the private
sector also helping in turn limit
the high interest in governmental
and public sector employment.
Furthermore, our national
strategy gives great importance
to further encouraging and
increasing investments including
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Achieving this will, without a
doubt, lead to an increase in
our competitiveness and further
strengthen the capacity of
Bahrain’s economy to make good
use of state of the art technology
and world-class management
techniques. We are sparing no
effort to attract investment to
other sectors in addition to the
existing sectors of banking,
industry and real estate. At
present, we have the promising
sector of tourism, where Bahrain
Best of Bahrain 17
 HRH awarded with “The Special Citation of
the UN-HABITAT Scroll of Honour” from the
UN Secretary General, Geneva 2007   in tourism, these rose to more
has become the preferred
location for distinct investments
than $12 billion in the current
decade, compared with only
$500 million in the nineties.
As a tourist hub the Kingdom
of Bahrain attracts more than
3.7 million visitors a year. The
contribution of the tourism sector
to Bahrain’s national income is
therefore approximately 9 percent
with average annual revenue of
one billion U.S. dollars. These
achievements have been made
possible by the successful
tourism sector development
polices the Government has
put into place and firmly
implemented.
What strategy does your
government employ in order to
ensure that Vision 2030 serves
the truest interests of Bahrainis
as a whole?
We have specific mechanisms
emanating from Vision 2030 itself
that will be implemented through
the collaboration between the
Government and Bahrain’s
Economic Development Board,
headed by His Royal Highness
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, Crown Prince and Deputy
Supreme Commander.
There will also be a
continuous monitoring of
the implementation process
including the detailed plans
contained therein. We all, as
institutions in the Kingdom of
Bahrain, collaborate in great
harmony so as to realize our
main objectives which in turn
serves the country’s interests.
Our aim is to integrate and
standardize without any overlap
or conflict. Our vision is clear
and our way forward is to review
what has been achieved in the
past, build on these successes
with a clear focus on the future.
We believe that in any economic
reform, the public sector
cannot replace the role of

18 Best of Bahrain
the private sector. Thus, the
private sector should play the
central role in managing the
development process and must
further expand its particular role
on the domestic and regional
fronts alike.
Your Royal Highness, what
are the scenarios for the
future as you see them for the
youth of Bahrain?
The youth are half of the
present and all of the future.
We are preparing them to take
responsibility with integrity. To
meet this end, we continue
to develop our educational
system and link our educational
curriculums with labour market
needs. We have managed to
decrease unemployment rates
to their lowest level thus far,
4 percent. We concentrate
on training, which in turn, will
enable young people to engage
in the labor market and meet
the needs of the Kingdom in
various disciplines.
We accord substantial attention
to youth healthcare in order
to insure that our young
generations grow strong,
disease free, highly productive
and distinctively creative and
innovative. Furthermore, we
provide youth sports and
social centers, giving them the
opportunity to channel their
energy and prepare themselves
for the future whereby they
are better able to contribute to
their country’s progress and
prosperity.
We have centers for fostering
talent and integrating people
with special needs into the
educational process, as part
of a boarder plan to integrate
and incorporate their abilities
in society. We are also proud
of the prevalence of several
public and private universities
in the Kingdom of Bahrain
that seek to provide the best
levels of education not only HRH awarded with “UNESCO Avicenna Gold Medal “
for our youth but for the youth from UNESCO Director General,  Paris October 2009
Best of Bahrain 19

HRH awarded with the “King Abdulaziz Medal”,
an honour given to world leaders from King
Abdullah, Riyadh April 2009
20 Best of Bahrain
of neighbouring countries and
other foreign resident children
from around the world.
In light of the global challenges
of climate change, what are the
steps taken by the Kingdom of
Bahrain to protect the natural
heritage and to ensure the
use of low-carbon energy in
the various institutions and
enterprises?
In the Kingdom of Bahrain we
have a formal body to protect
the environment, which monitors
the emission rates of factories
and takes the necessary action
to reduce these emissions
where found. Furthermore, we
contribute actively in various
regional and international forums
to find solutions to climate
change challenges and to ensure
that the Kingdom of Bahrain is
aligned with any procedures that
have been agreed upon globally.
The findings and indicators, as a
result of the Public Commission
for the Protection of Marine
Resources, Environment and
Wildlife Monitoring in Bahrain,
confirms that emissions in
the Kingdom are in line with
international standards.
Furthermore, we are among
the countries that take the
protection and the reservation
of the environment seriously. In
this regard, we have decisive and
outstanding legislations.
How do you see the
participation of your country in
growth at the global level and
what role do you think that your
government has in this area?
We are part and parcel of this
world and we are proud of our
effective role, in collaboration
with friends in all countries,
to reach a more secure and
stable world; where relations are
characterized by mutual respect,
free from conflict and tension,
which have caused serious
damage to the development
plans in many parts of the
contemporary world.

There are common challenges
facing all countries worldwide,
where agreements are necessary
to achieve crucial goals such
as; sustainable development,
economic diversification, job
creation, quality education and
health for all.
Bahrain’s economy, especially as
being one of limited resources, is
highly interlinked with those of its
neighbours as well as with world
oil markets. We are working to
expand our options, particularly
in banking and tourism. Yet,
despite our limited resources our
economic growth remains high,
diversified and thus enhancing
our status on a world wide scale.
We are confident that no State
alone can make a unique
achievement in the world.
On the contrary, international
cooperation is, without a
doubt, the driving hallmark
of today’s world. Indeed, the
communication revolution, which
The inaugural Bahrain International Airshow (BIAS) 2010
brought about tremendous
global convergence, further
blurred barriers between nations
and made distances more
manageable. We truly all live now
in one global village, with only
geographical spaces to separate
us.
Let us reiterate the call to the
entire world, to fully cooperate
to improve the circumstances in
the least developed and poorest
countries, to renounce violence
and eschew conflicts and wars
that can never bring peace and
tranquility to the world.
Unless all of us respect human
rights, work to improve the lives
of people everywhere, free from
the prejudices of racism and
ethnocentrism, the elimination
of tension and widespread
poverty will not be achieved. We
are all part of this world and so
progress and development is the
responsibility of us all without
exception.
Best of Bahrain 21
 Bahrain Overview
The pearl of the Gulf, Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island-nation located just
off the Arabian Peninsula. With its name meaning ‘the two seas’, this land
was once considered by the ancient Sumerians to be an island paradise for
the wise and the brave who were transported there to enjoy eternal life.

The Al-Fateh Mosque located next to the

King Faisal Highway in Juffair, Kingdom of Bahrain

22 Best of Bahrain
 More recently, the Kingdom of
Bahrain has achieved fame as
one of the first Gulf States to
discover oil. Since the Al Khalifa
family began ruling the country
in 1783, the country has been
moving towards creating a local
identity that marries tradition and
modernity, symbolising a beacon of
progress and humility in the Arab
World.
Best of Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain is an
archipelago comprising 33 islands
located in the Persian Gulf ruled
by the Al Khalifa dynasty since
1783. Bahrain became a British
protectorate in the 19th Century
and gained independence in
1971.The current ruler, His Royal
Highness King Hamad bin Isa Al
Khalifa, assumed the throne in
1999 and instituted a process
of democratic reform. Through
the change to a constitutional
monarchy in 2002 his title went
from Emir to King. Since that
time, the Kingdom of Bahrain has
moved from strength to strength
through its financial sector and
infrastructure development. The
Kingdom of Bahrain is a member
of the United Nations, the Arab
League, the Gulf Co-operation
Council and the Organization of the
Islamic Conference.
Background on Bahrain
Bahrain is an Arabic word meaning
“Two Seas”, referring to two facts.
First, the islands are surrounded
by two kinds of water; freshwater
Image by Abdulla M. Al-Khan of Bahrain House of Photography
springs may be found within the
salty water of the Arabian Gulf.
Secondly, the Kingdom of
Bahrain lies between the southern
and northern waters of the Gulf
which separate it from the Arabian
coast and Iran. The Kingdom
of Bahrain is located midway
between the Qatar peninsula and
Saudi Arabia. Bahrain Island is 48
kilometres long and 16 kilometres
wide. The Kingdom of Bahrain is
connected to Saudi Arabia by a 23
kilometre causeway which opened
in November 1986, creating easy
access for many businessmen
who live in the Kingdom of
Bahrain and work in Dhahran in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s
Eastern Province. The island was
once known as Dilmun and was
home to an ancient civilisation
that played a central trading role
between the peoples of the Indus
Valley (now India) to the south
and Mesopotamia (now Iraq) to
the north. Dilmun’s capital was
a major port whose remains are
visible today at the UNESCO World
Heritage Site of Bahrain Fort (Qal’at
al Bahrain).
The Kingdom also features in
one of the world’s oldest and most
enduring pieces of literature – the
Epic of Gilgamesh, where the
island was home to the source of
eternal youth. The tale is believed
to refer to the pearls from the
shallow Gulf waters, which were
one of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s
biggest exports for generations.
In more recent years, the
Kingdom of Bahrain has been
a regional pioneer, particularly
as a specialist business and
financial centre. The Kingdom
has a whole series of Gulf ‘firsts’
under its belt - from discovering
oil, to diversifying the economy,
providing education for both
males and females from the
1920s onwards and becoming
the first democracy with universal
suffrage in the region. Indeed,
in the Kingdom of Bahrain,
women are entitled to run for
parliamentary office. The Royal
Family has integrated both
politically and socially throughout
the world, befriending many
high-profile figures. One such
friendship was with the late ‘King
of Pop’ Michael Jackson: on
his untimely death in 2009 H.M.
King Hamad commented that
“the world has lost a giant in the
music industry.” In many ways,
Bahrain has created a distinctive
identity that marries tradition and
modernity, symbolising a beacon
of progress in the Arab world.
Head of State :
H. M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Official Name: Kingdom of Bahrain
Capital City : Manama
Area : 665 sq km
Population Approx : 720,000
Time Zone : UTC+3
Official Languages : Arabic &
English
Official Religion : Islam
Currency : Bahraini Dinar (BHD)
Country Dialling Code : +973
People Age Ratio : 0-14 years:
26.4%, 15-64 years: 69.8%, 65
years and over: 3.8%
Gender Ratio : 1.25 male/female
Ethnic Groups : Bahraini 62.4%,
non-Bahraini 37.6%
Religious Affiliations : Muslim
(Shia and Sunni) 81.2%, Christian
9%, other 9.8%
Accommodation
The Kingdom of Bahrain
provides various options
for visitors, from furnished
apartments to an impressive
range of local and international
hotels. The country hosts such
well-known hotel names such
as Ritz–Carlton, Banyan Tree,
Crowne Plaza, Radisson Blu,
Sheraton and will be extending
its hospitality with the opening
of a greater range of five-star
properties by 2012, including
the Four Seasons, Raffles and
Kempinski. Also a current trend
is the advent of boutique hotels
such as L’Hotel.
Best of Bahrain 23
Health and Beauty
Climate
Located just off the Arabian
Peninsula, the Kingdom of Bahrain
is generally considered a hot, arid
country. While it does see very
hot and humid summers (July
to September), the Kingdom of
Bahrain also experiences mild and
pleasant winters (December to
March), making it a much-desired
vacation destination for those living
in regions where the winter can be
much harsher.
Average Temperature in ˚C
Winter lows: 10 ˚C
Summer highs 36 ˚C
Embassies
Most countries are represented in
the Kingdom of Bahrain by their
respective embassies.
Medical Facilities
The Kingdom of Bahrain offers
modern medical care and
medicines through various
hospitals in the country. Two
government hospitals and several
private hospitals provide a wide
range of medical services.
Many expatriates prefer to
attend private hospitals such as
the American Mission Hospital in
Manama (www.amh.org.bh). For
more information please view the
Kingdom of Bahrain Ministry of
Health website (www.moh.gov.bh).
National Anthem
“Bahrainona” (“Our Bahrain”)
24 Best of Bahrain
National Flag
The flag of the Kingdom of
Bahrain is made up of a white
band on the left, separated
from a red area on the right by
a zigzagging line. The five white
points of the line represent the
five pillars of Islam.
FACTS ON THE KINGDOM
OF BAHRAIN
General Information
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
Banks and Foreign Exchange
The Kingdom of Bahrain is
host to world-class financial
institutions, including the highly
regarded Ahli United Bank,
which has won ‘Best Foreign
Exchange Bank in the Middle
East’ for three consecutive
years. The National Bank
of Bahrain also provides
comprehensive banking
services. Other financial
institutions in the country fall
under the following labels:
investment banks, commercial
banks, specialized banks,
offshore banking units, and
money and foreign exchange
brokers. Islamic Banking is
abundant.
Credit Cards and Cash
All major credit cards can be
used in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Cash is preferred in the local
currency which is Bahraini Dinar.
Doing Business in the Kingdom
of Bahrain
According to the United Nations
Economic and Social Commission
for Western Asia, the Kingdom of
Bahrain has the fastest growing
economy in the Arab world. This
makes it an ideal country for all
types of business ventures. In
the face of the global economic
crisis, the country is diversifying
its economy to ensure its
continued success both locally
and internationally. Additionally,
the Kingdom of Bahrain’s focus
on Islamic banking, which is
becoming increasingly popular,
ensures that it will be one step
ahead of the world in the business
realm. With many international
firms making their home in the
country, the Kingdom of Bahrain is
a tried-and-true option for business
and investment.
Natural Resources
Oil is the Kingdom of Bahrain’s
major source of revenue, with
petroleum production and
processing accounting for about
60% of export receipts, 60% of
government revenues, and 30%
of GDP.
THE MEDIA
Radio
Most radio stations in the Kingdom
of Bahrain are state-run, with
the Bahrain Radio and Television
Corporation (BRTC) broadcasting
a general programme in Arabic,
a second programme featuring
cultural and local programmes,
a Holy Quran programme and
a sports service, as well as the
English language
Radio Bahrain. The country also
has a privately owned programme
for Indian listeners.
Television
The Kingdom of Bahrain is eager to
promote itself as the media hub of
the Middle East. Locally, the state-
run Bahrain Radio and Television
Corporation (BRTC) operates five
terrestrial TV networks.
For more information see the
Ministry of Culture and Information:
www.moci.gov.bh/en/
Print
Since the opening of the first
Arabic newspaper daily, Akhbar
al Khaleej, in 1967, print media
has made steady progress in the
Kingdom of Bahrain. Today the
country hosts five dailies, including
two in the English language.
Regional and international
newspapers and magazines also
circulate in the country.
COMMUNICATIONS AND
TRANSPORT
Telecommunications
The Kingdom of Bahrain
has a well-developed
telecommunications system that
has recently been privatized with
several competitive providers
including Batelco, Viva, Zain,
Menatelecom and Nuetel. The
landline phone system connects
most parts of the country, while
mobile coverage stretches across
the island. The Kingdom of Bahrain
is well-connected; it is fairly easy
to get online at internet cafes and
visitors should not have problems
obtaining internet access from
any of the four and five star hotel
properties. The Bahraini domain
suffix is .bh.
The Telecommunications
Regulatory Authority (TRA) was
recently established for protecting
the interests of subscribers and
users, and promoting effective and
fair competition among established
and new licensed operators. www.
tra.org.bh/en/
Public Transport
As a small island nation, the
Kingdom of Bahrain’s transport
infrastructure emphasises both
local and international mobility.
The country’s small size allows for
easy access to almost all parts
of the nation. The government-
sponsored road network provides
the major link between residential
and commercial areas, as well
as connects to airports, seaports
and industrial zones. In terms of
international access, the Kingdom
of Bahrain has no shortage of
options: various seaports; bridges
(linking the island nation with
Saudi Arabia and Qatar); and
the Bahrain International Airport,
complete with its own carriers like
Bahrain Air and Gulf Air, provide
instant gateways to the world
outside the country’s borders.
Buses run regularly with links
between most towns to Manama
and Muharraq, running from
5.30am until 9.30pm. Timetable
information is provided at the bus
terminals.
The Government has aimed to
privatise the public transportation
for the private sector to develop
the service and raise its efficiency
and effectiveness to fully serve
the residents. It is expected that
the development of the public
transportation will encourage more
residents from all social sectors to
use the buses, even if they own
cars, to participate in the reduction
of the number of cars in the roads
and minimise traffic jams, and also
reduce air pollution, also knowing
that the Public Transportation
service provided general benefits
from economic, social and
environmental aspects.
Best of Bahrain 25
 Private Transport
Like much of Europe and all of
North America, driving in the
Kingdom of Bahrain is on the right
side of the road. Road rules are
strictly enforced. These include the
mandatory wearing of seatbelts,
speed limits and a zero tolerance for
drink driving. Violators may be fined
on the spot. Rental cars are readily
available but visitors cannot hire a
car using a foreign driver’s license
(other than from GCC countries).
According to Bahraini law, only an
International Driving Licenses is
acceptable and must be obtained
before entry into the Kingdom.

Postal Services
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Postal
Directorate has established post
offices in many parts of the island
nation, so that contact with the
world is never far away. In addition,
the country makes various
internationally-recognised services
available to its residents to ensure
the highest levels of quality and
efficiency in communicating with the
outside world.

Tourism
With over eight million visitors
a year, the Kingdom of Bahrain
is a popular tourist destination.
Steeped in Arab history while
openly embracing the modern
world, Bahrain offers what Lonely
Planet describes as “an excellent
introduction to the Persian Gulf”.
The country combines traditional
Arabic culture, contemporary Gulf
glamour and the archaeological
legacy of five thousand years of
civilization. It also hosts settlements,
temples and burial mounds from
the ancient civilization of Dilmun,
which dominated trade between
Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley
Civilization.
The government is actively
supporting the tourism industry
by contributing to large-scale
development projects. Various
resorts are planned in the Kingdom
of Bahrain, including the Al Areen
Resort, Dannat Hawar, Durrat Al
Bahrain, Amwaj Islands, Lulu Island,
Riffa Views and Bahrain Bay, soon to
be home to the Kingdom’s first Four
Seasons Hotel. Other prominent
initiatives to increase tourism are
the cultural events organized by the
Image by Latifa Al Shakar, alshakar@gmail.com

Ministry of Culture & Information as

well as the expansion plans of the
Kingdom’s national airport.

26 Best of Bahrain
World Heritage Sites
UNESCO has listed one of the
Kingdom of Bahrain’s many
ancient forts, Qalat Al Bahrain, as
a World Heritage Site. Initiated in
2006 under the patronage of His
Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin
Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince
and Deputy Supreme Commander,
the Investing in Culture project
is aimed at enhancing an active
partnership between the private
and public sectors to financially and
morally support new cultural projects
aimed at human development with
preservation of national identity.
(www.investinginculture.bh). One
heritage site notable to the Kingdom
of Bahrain is the Tree of Life near
Jebel Dukhan.
Tipping
This is prevalent but not as
standardized as in North America.
Many hotels and restaurants include
a service charge for dinners of 10
-15 percent though it is customary to
leave a small extra tip to the waiting
staff at the discretion of the patron.
Taxi drivers and other service workers
will expect small tips of around 10 per
cent.
Luxury In The City
Located on the ground floor of
the iconic Bahrain World Trade
Centre (BWTC), Moda Mall has
attained the status of an ultra-
exclusive shopping complex,
thanks to its tenants. Offering
about 16,500 square metres of
retail space, Moda Mall houses
some 160 high-end brands
including Louis Vuitton, Emporio
Armani, Versace, Just Cavalli,
Hermes and Stella McCartney,
under it’s roof.
Hypermarkets in Bahrain
Even though, Bahrain has caught
on to the hypermarket model
relatively late in the GCC region,
the pace has been picking up
steadily. France’s Auchain and
the UAE’s EMKE Group have
expressed interest in establishing
their presence in the country.
The Bahrain City Centre Mall has
been successful in attracting
quite a number of tenants who
are major players in the GCC
region. Other malls are mostly
located in the Seef District and
include Al Ali Mall, Seef Mall,
Bahrain Mall, Marina Mall and
Dana Mall.
Future of Retail Growth
There is growth of convenience
foods in the market due to
demand for a Western diet.
US-based Kraft has invested
in a 60,000 square metre food
processing plant, it’s first in
the GCC region. With demand
for foreign food and fashion
increasing, there is immense
potential for growth in Bahrain.
SHOPPING DISTRICTS
• Seef District
• Al Ali Mall
• Seef Mall
• Bahrain Mall
• Marina Mall
• Dana Mall
• Capital Mall - Bahrain Cultural
Handicrafts)
Muharraq
Al Kurar House
Manama
The City Center Mall is possibly the
biggest with 350 stores, 20 cinema
screens, the Middle East’s largest
indoor water park, 30 restaurants
and a large Carrefour supermarket.
The Manama Souk is next to
Bab Al Bahrain (the gateway to
Bahrain) and it is full of invigorating
noises and scents.
Isa Town Souk - Antiques
• Souk Al Haraj – Flea market
• Spice Souk
• Gold Souk
• Gold City
• Cloth Souk
SPORT
The most famous sports event
in the country is the Bahrain
Grand Prix, an annual Formula
One racing event that takes
place at the Bahrain International
Circuit (BIC). In 2004, Bahrain
organised the Bahrain Grand Prix,
the first FIA Formula One World
Championship event held in the
Middle East that was later awarded
the “Best Organized Grand Prix”
award by the IFA. In 2006, the
Bahrain Grand Prix which is usually
the third race of the Formula
calendar swapped places with the
traditional opener, the Australian
Grand Prix and opened the
Formula One calendar. In 2007,
the BIC became the first circuit to
receive the FIA Institute Centre of
Excellence trophy. The Kingdom of
Bahrain staged the opening race of
the 2010 season as well.
To date, the lap record is held
by Michael Schumacher who in
2004 did a lap record of:
• Lap record 1:30.252 – M
Schumacher (2004)
• Laps 57
• Circuit Length 5.412 km
• Race Distance 308.238 km
Equestrian
The Kingdom of Bahrain is well-
known for its love of horse-riding
and equestrian heritage plus
diving and golfing activities. Riding
clubs and events include:
• Amiri Stables, home to many
equestrian events where
Best of Bahrain 27
 visitors can view some of the
world’s finest Arabian breeds
Awali Riding Club specialises
in Trail Riding, Show Jumping,
Polo, Dressage and Cross
Country.
• The Dilmun club was founded
in 1974 and has grown into the
premier private club in Bahrain.
Located in Saar, near Budaiya,
the ‘Dilly’ is a Sports and social
club Twin Palms Riding Centre
is the largest riding and livery
centre Sakhir Racecourse with
its unique Arabic tent design
International show-jumping
Endurance races
Scuba Diving
Because of its geography, diving
is popular in Bahrain: the warm,
Image by Hasan Al Khunaizi, hasan-alkhunaizi@hotmail.com
shallow waters of the Bahrain
archipelago are teeming with
oyster beds. Scuba diving is
generally done from boats and
average underwater visibility is
about five metres. The Scuba
Master dive centre in Manama
teaches PADI and SDI training in
English and Arabic.
Popular dive sites in Bahrain
Bahrain pearl is the finest spot for
diving in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
28 Best of Bahrain
Clown fish trigger fish, surgeon
fish, turtles, rays, lion fish, grouper,
snapper, crayfish and even whale
sharks can be spot near this reef.
Caisson wreck is located 20
miles off the coast of the Kingdom
of Bahrain. This concrete and steel
structure is home to a numerous
species of fish.
Fasht najwah is located at 50
nautical miles north of the Kingdom
of Bahrain. Najwah is an excellent
dive location for advanced divers
and photographers.
During peak season, Najwah is
an excellent location to spot whale
sharks.
Fifi wreck is located 5 miles off
the east coast of the Kingdom of
Bahrain. This location is especially
popular for night dives.
Golf
Golf can be enjoyed at any level
and on one of the oldest courses
in the Gulf to one of the most
innovative. Golf started in the
1930’s with the first three hole golf
course built next to Jebel Al Dukan
in the oilfields.
For training, you might like to try
Riffa Views Golf Academy. Bahrain
has hosted some major golf
events such as the Senior Tours
Championship at Riffa Views Golf
Club which is a PGA, 18 hole, par
72 golf course featuring five lakes
and 72 bunkers, plus the option
to play in the evening under the
floodlit course.
Desert Sports
There are many types of desert
activities in the Gulf, whether to
watch or participate in:
• Camel riding
• Adventure Drive Arabia – this is
for self drives on quad bikes
• Falconry
ARTS AND CULTURE
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s Ministry
of Culture and Information is
dedicated to promoting local art
and culture, as well as introducing
the community to global forms of
expression. Traditional Bahraini
art and culture consists of
Quran readings, public poetry
performances, ceremonial
dances, and storytelling. In
addition, Bahrainis are well-known
for their work in handicrafts
like golden jewellery and their
craftsmanship as demonstrated in
their boatbuilding tradition. Local
music falls under the Khaleeji
category, which is indigenous to
the Persian Gulf area as a whole
and mixes Arab, Persian and
African musical traditions. The
Kingdom of Bahrain also has a
folk dance tradition. The Ardha
is a men’s sword dance, which
is accompanied by traditional
drummers and a poet, who sings
the lyrics.
Environment
As a country that takes the
environment seriously, the
Kingdom of Bahrain has been
working closely with the UN
on issues of environmental
preservation and sustainability.
The United Nations Environment
Programmes Regional Office
for West Asia is located in the
Kingdom of Bahrain, and from
there works to provide advisory
services, capacity building and
technology transfer in the priority
areas of the region under a series
of umbrella programmes.
The government, along
with local and international
organisations, is making efforts
to address environmental threats
in the country, as this is the
first step towards long-term
environmental sustainability. By
focusing on issues like scarcity
of fresh water, desertification,
and pollution from oil production,
individuals and groups hope
to set the foundations for an
environmental movement that can
keep the Kingdom of Bahrain’s
natural heritage as a blessing for
generations to come.
Drawing by Danny Lawless lawlessconcept@yahoo.ca
International Airport
Bahrain International Airport, Al
Muharraq, with over 36 airlines
using the facility.
On October 8, 2009, it was
announced that expansion work
worth BHD 1.8 billion will be
started in 2010 at the airport. In
connection to that, Bahrain Airport
Company has received bids from
six companies. Planned over the
next 30 years, the expansion is
expected to triple the passenger
capacity to 27 million a year. Two
new terminals will be opened
in the next four years as part
of the expansion. The airport
Bahrain Duty Free www.bdutyfree.com
development plan will also involve
construction of an air traffic
control tower, cargo facilities, a
royal flight terminal and road and
rail links to the airport.
Major Locations
Al Muharraq, Al Hadd, Manama, Al
Best of Bahrain 29
 Manamah, Jidd Hafs, Al Mintaqah,
Ash Shamaliyah, Jiddah, Umm
An Nasan, Al Mintaqah Al Wusta,
Madinat Isa, Ar Rifa Al Gharbi,
Sitrah, Madinat Hamad, Ar Rifa
Wa, Al Mintaqah, Al Janubiyah, Al
Mintaqah, Al Gharbiyah.
National Capital
• Manama
Other Cities
Samahij, Barbar, Sar, Al Qurayyah,
Al Jasrah, Jurdab, Karzakkan,
Al Malikiyan, Halat Umm At Bayd,
Dar Kulayb, Askar, Az Zallaq, Al
Wasmiyah, Jaww, Ad Dur, Al
Mamtalah, Ar Rumaythah.
Attractions
Luxurious, modern and
cosmopolitan, the Kingdom
of Bahrain welcomes a huge
number of international tourists
each year to come and share the
fascinating blend of eastern and
western cultures. The Bahrain
travel guide will provide you an
insight about the attractions of this
blissful Kingdom. Manama, the
capital, is dotted with mosques
and minarets. This place boasts of
excellent hotels, shopping malls,
restaurants and an interesting
central souq (bazaar). Some of the
key places to visit to make your
visit to Bahrain complete are:
• Bab al Bahrain
• The Gold Souq
• Siyadi House
• Al-Khamis Mosque
• Bahrian Fort
Image by Latifa Al Shakar - alshakar@gmail.com
• Barbar Temple
• Museum of Pearl Diving
• National Museum of Bahrain
• Arad Fort
• Shaikh Isa’s House
• Tree of Life
• Bait Al Qu’ran
• King Fahad Causeway
• Al-Jasra House
• Salman bin Ahmed Al Fateh
Fort
Alcohol
Bahrain has more of a
Image by Bahrain House of Photography
cosmopolitan approach than many
of its GCC neighbours. There
are many lively bars, clubs and
licensed restaurants in villas as
well as in four and five star hotels.
Please note that public displays of
drunkenness and drink driving are
not tolerated and can result in fines
or prosecution.
30 Best of Bahrain
FOCUS ON DINING
The Taste of Bahrain
As a multi-cultural haven that is
home to people from around the
world, the food of the Kingdom
of Bahrain features man different
cuisines such as Indian, Thai,
Chinese, Continental and Pakistani
food, as well as traditional
Arabic fare. Some of the popular
restaurants in the Kingdom of
Bahrain that serve international
food are:
• Le Mediterranee , Ritz-Carlton
Hotel
• Far East Seafood Market,
Ramee International Hotel
• Al Noor Lounge Café
It is well worth trying the traditional
local food and drink. Bahrainis
eat popular Arabian foods like
Falafel (a dish of fried balls of
chickpeas served in a bread),
Shawarma (lamb or chicken
carved from a rotating spit and
wrapped in pita bread, usually
stuffed with lettuce and tomato
with an accompanying bag of
pickles), Qoozi (grilled lamb stuffed
with rice, boiled eggs, onions and
spices). A specialty of the region is
Machboos, an interesting dish that
is made up of fresh fish or meat
and is served with fine rice and
dates. Another delicacy which is
typical to the region is Muhammar,
a dish of sweet rice served with
dates or sugar.Bahrainis are partial
to snacks such as ‘Samboosa’, a
semi-circular or triangular pastry
stuffed with meat, pepper and
onions and deep fried. Another
popular breakfast and snack
item is a special flat bread called
the ‘Khubz’ that can be found
in any of the numerous bakeries
throughout the country.
One can find an abundance
of fresh fruits like dates,
bananas, citrus fruits, mangoes,
pomegranates, tomatoes and
cucumbers that are cultivated
in the region. Another food that
forms an important part of the
Bahraini diet is the fresh fish of
the Gulf which is served grilled,
steamed or fried according to
one’s choice. Popular meats
available in the local market
include Safi (rabbit fish), Chanad
(mackerel), and Sobaity. Though
fish is mostly served with rice
here, one can easily find fresh fish
and chips in Bahrain.
Image by Latifa Al Shakar, alshakar@gmail.com
Coffee, locally called ‘Gahwa’, is the
traditional welcome drink that is often
served with cardamom and saffron
added to it. Many of the hotels and
restaurants carry alcohol licenses
so you can enjoy your choice of
accompaniment to your meal.
Restaurants in Manama are diverse
and there is something to suit any
palate. The capital boasts hundreds of
restaurants including:
• Al Dallah
• Al Raouche (Sheraton Bahrain Hotel)
• Al Sawani
• Golestan - Iranian
• La Perle - Seafood Restaurant
• Al Noor Lounge Cafe (Intercontinental
Hotel)
• Le Jardin (Ramada Hotel)
• Le Mediterrane in Bahrain
(Ritz Carlton Hotel)
• Silks (Moevenpick Hotel)
• Le Bistro (Intercontinental Hotel)
• Trader Vics
• Wrangler
• JJ’s Irish Restaurant
• Neyran (Mercure Hotel)
• Al Waha (Gulf Hotel)
• The Meat Company
• Le Versailles (Intercontinental
Regency) Bahrain
• Nirvana (Ritz Carlton Hotel) - Indian
• Plums (Ritz Carlton Hotel) - Japanese
For some contemporary cuisine why
not visit Adliya which is a small area with
boutique restaurants with a zappy buzz
and in some instances cool.
Jazz USEFUL PHRASES
• CICO’s - Italian
• Yes : Na’am
• COCO
• No : La
• Up a Tree, Cup a Tea
• Hello : Marhaba
• Upstairs Downstairs
• Mezzaluna - Mediterranean • Good-bye : Fi aman Illah
• Monsoon – Thai • Good-morning : Sabah al-khair
• Zoe’s - International • Good-evening : Masa’al-khair
• Thank you : Shokran
Nightlife • How much : Qadaish? Or Bi-kam?
The Kingdom of Bahrain is a melting • Never mind : Ma’lesh
pot of diversity with superb international • Please : Min fadlak (m) Min fadlik (f)
live bands from jazz at the Gulf Hotel, • I have no money / cannot increase my offer : Mafeesh
international duos at the Movenpick
flous
Hotel, Latino duos at the Mercure, and
• Call me a taxi : Areed taxi
Philipino acts at The Warbler, Windsor
• I want to buy : Areed ashtiri
Tower, Metropolitan Hotel, Radisson
Blu and Rock Bottom Café singing • May I have the bill please : Mumkin el-hisab, min
cover songs. There are sports bars and fadlak?
Arabic and Indian themed clubs. • God willing : Insh’allah
For Arabic nights try Baisan Tower, • Congratulations : Mabrook
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Diplomat Hotel, • Go : Imshi
Al Safir Hotel, Ramee International • Stop : Qif
Hotel, Metropolitan Hotel, Gulf Gate • I don’t speak Arabic : Ma ata – kallam Arabi
Hotel, Grand Hotel, Phoenicia Tower, • Market area : Souk
Concord Hotel, Delmon International
• One : Wahid
Hotel, Aradous Hotel, Adhari Hotel,
• Two : Ithnain
Tylos Hotel, Mirador Hotel, Palace Inn
Hotel and Panorama Hotel. • Three : Thalatha
For Indian venues there is • Four : Arba’a
Bollywood Café at the Ramee • Five : Khamsa
International Hotel, Madonnar Bar, • Six : Sitta
Concord Hotel, Sangam at Delmon • Seven : Sab’a
International Hotel, Taj lounge at • Eight : Thamaniya
Ardous Hotel, Cassablanca at Adhari • Nine : Tis’a
Hotel, International Club House at • Ten : Ashara
Tylos Hotel and Khushboo at Bahrain
• Hundred : Mi’a
International Hotel, Plums at Ritz
• Thousand : Alf
Carlton.
Best of Bahrain 31
For healthy growth, just add Bahrain.

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Even in a climate of scal aridity, delicate seedlings have to be tended. Bahrain provides
an ideal environment in which to do just that; a complete economic ecosystem, in fact, providing
business with essential suppor t and sustenance. This is perhaps why so many multinational s
– from Microsoft to Citibank to Kraft – have already planted themselves on Bahraini soil.
The track record – theirs and ours – demonstrates what fertile ground it is. Ground where green
shoots of recovery stand t he best possible chance of not mere survival, but of a blooming future.
For gardening tips, visit bahrain.com
porsche design

Our most significant development since 1972: a signature style.

Things that accompany us through life should be, above all, functional. But they should
also touch us emotionally. As long ago as 1972, Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche
laid the milestones – with the Chronograph I – of a philosophy that continues to govern
Porsche Design today: consummate functionality in clear, unadorned forms. The result
is not only classic gentlemen’s accessories, but also a collection of other exclusive
products which reveal their essence in visual and haptic beauty. In brief: a design that
is timeless.

72 78 99
Chronograph I Pilot glasses P´3110 TecFlex Ballpoint Pen
First all-black chronograph First glasses with lens-changing feature Stainless steel weave, borrowed from racing

04 07 08
P´6910 Indicator P´9521 Mobile Phone P´3210 Fragrance
Only chronograph with mechanical-digital With innovative fingerprint sensor First fragrance from Porsche Design
stopwatch function

“If you analyse the function of an object

its form often becomes obvious.”

Prof. Ferdinand Alexander Porsche

porsche design
worldtimer
ß6750
The Worldtimer. One watch. Two time zones.

The perfect companion for cosmopolitans, thanks to its automatic

movement with unique world time function. It allows the display
of a second time zone on the dial in a mechanical-digital manner.
The time of the second time zone is transferred to the hands by
simply pressing a button.

Porsche Design at Jashanmal Department Store Al Aali Mall,

Bahrain City Centre; L’ Hotel at Seef District
Chapter 1
Hotels & Hospitality

42 Best of Bahrain
“The Ritz-Carlton is a place where the genuine care and comfort of
our guests is our highest mission, and with the passion and dedication
of our ladies and gentlemen we strive to provide the highest level of
personalized service to create exceptional and memorable experiences
for our guests every day,” says Mr. Dilip Mukundan, Director of Sales &
Marketing of The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa.

Best of Bahrain 43
 Strategically placed business
location overlooking Manama
City and the new rising Bahrain
Financial Harbour, includes The
Hotels & Hospitality
Club Floor with specialised fa-
cilities for the business traveller.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
“Adopt a Lion” campaign raises
funds for the Regional Institute
of Active Learning in Bahrain.
The lions can be seen through-
out The Ritz-Carlton hotel.
The Sports Club &
Spa boasts swimming
pools, tennis courts, Turkish
bath, as well as a private
marina housing Bahrain’s
residents’ yachts.
For seven years, the
hotel has bagged the
“Best Business Hotel in
Manama, Bahrain” ac-
colade from ‘Business
Traveller Middle East.’

The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa

“We are Ladies and Gentlemen serving Ladies and Gentlemen.”
With this edifying philosophy, its grand lobby, famously designed
with black Italian marble floors and rare Rio Rosewood walls, it
reflects the aura of timeless sumptuousness that the global brand
adheres to. In the epicentre of Manama’s business and shopping
district, the warmth of Bahrain’s buisness friendly atmosphere
comes alive in a refined resort ambience.

Pool:
44 Lounge poolside and soak in the Bahraini sun, or take a
Best of Bahrain
relaxing dip in the beautifully designed outdoor swimming pool.
The Villas: Enjoy relaxed elegance at one of the 23 luxurious three-bedroom villas each with its own private swimming pool, beach access and 24-hour butler service.
Overlooking the Northern
Bahraini coast with its seafront
archipelago, the hotel’s 245
rooms and suites, including the
Club Rooms and Club Lounge,
are flanked on both sides
with a generous spa, leisure
accroutements and a cluster
of Philippe Stark-inspired,
Caribbean style villas adorning a
20 acre waterfront development
on the Arabian Gulf. This self-
sustained retreat faces the
Manama cityscape and the
new rising Bahrain Financial
Harbour developments with
the neighbouring Diplomatic
area and surrounding shopping
complex. Few hotels in Bahrain
can match its pulling power.
Mr. Dilip Mukundan, Director
of Sales & Marketing, The
Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel &
Spa explains that the property
functions on an credo of “a
place where the genuine care
and comfort of our guests is our
highest mission.” Undoubtedly
espousing “Service that is
truly felt from the heart”, the
pioneer of the hospitality
business Cesar Ritz, otherwise
known as the ‘king of hoteliers
and hotelier to kings’ would
be content with this hotel
experience.
Establised in 1983, The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel Company, L.L.C. is supported
by on-going hospitality training
that maximizes the talents of every
staff member, empowering them
to create unique experiences for
its guests. “With fully equipped
meeting facilities and ballrooms
offering over 24,000 square feet of
meeting space it is no surprise that
the hotel is Bahrain’s first choice
for intimate meetings to large
international conferences.”
What makes The Ritz-Carlton,
Bahrain Hotel & Spa so special
is what Ladies and Gentlemen
understood ages ago: that
relaxation begets business
Best of Bahrain 45
success which in turn inspires
relaxation.
As the highest testament to its
earned majesty, The Ritz-Carlton,
Bahrain Hotel & Spa wisely retains
its roots in humility and does more
than its lion’s share of community
service. In tribute to its corporate
tradition for leaving its footprint in
the sands of time, The Ritz-Carlton
Hotel Company developed the
Community Footprints initiative to
consistently and positively inspire
the lives of others. In line with this
tradition, The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
“Adopt a Lion” campaign at The
Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa,
was successfully launched in
March 2009 as a means for raising
funds to benefit the Regional
Institute of Active Learning in
Bahrain. The cute and cuddly
Ritz-Carlton lions, ‘adopted’ for
charity, were visible throughout
The Ritz-Carlton hotel. “It is
through this collection of imprints
that we can make a meaningful
difference”, says Mr. Dilip
Mukundan.
He looks forward to continuing
the success of The Ritz-Carlton,
Bahrain Hotel & Spa in a city that
is experiencing immense growth.
Mukundan concludes that he is
“eager to reinforce and strengthen
our position as a market leader
and work with the Ladies and
Gentlemen whose dedication and
loyalty make it all possible.”
Tel: +973 17 58 0000
www.ritzcarlton.com

All rooms include high-speed internet access, LCD TV, satellite TV and 24-hour in-room
46 Best of Bahrain dining service, with breathtaking views of the Arabian Gulf or the Manama cityscape.
Amongst all restaurants, the
Nirvana emerged victorious thanks
to its South Asian indigenous
touch. Welcome to a dining
room fit for Maharajas, serving
authentic culinary experiences
from India, it boasts a particularly
romantic setting. Replete with red
carpets, red candles, red walls
and surrounding mirrors reflecting
time, space and memories of days
gone by; the dulcet tones of live
Indian sitar and drum, seduces
guests who keep coming back for
more.
The Burlington Club with its
Havana cigars, library lined walls
and low lights is reminiscent
of the locations where famous
personalities stayed at the original
Ritz-Carlton as far back as 1927.
Today the emphasis is on
regionally refined architectural
design and personalised service
throughout the company’s
numerous outlets worldwide.
The well appointed rooms with
the most comfortable mattresses
known to mankind represent yet
another value addition of this luxury
establishment. The stunning sea
view from the rooms, added to the
fine room touches - designed by -
renowned French architect
Pierre-Yves Rochon -
demonstrates his penchant for
aesthetic beauty that is also
evident in his selection
of Rosewood for The Club Floor.
Considered to be among the
most beautiful of all woods,
it has been used for centuries
for fine furniture production.
Here it is used in profusion
for pianos and sculptures, that
grace the walls and floors of
this new and yet enticingly
traditional space.
Best of Bahrain 47
 L’Hotel – Bahrain’s First
Boutique Hotel
It is no longer astonishing when a hotel staff member
actually remembers a guest’s preferences stated
during a previous stay, no matter how long ago.

Equipped with 90 rooms and suites ranging from 40 to

120 square metres, four F&B outlets and a bar, L’Hotel
offers diversity through the Day and Night concept that
has seen steady and successful growth.

48 Best of Bahrain
Thanks to technological
advancement, hotels are now
able to record their guest’s
preferences and enable them to
offer personalised services. L’Hotel,
the first boutique hotel in Bahrain,
has embraced technology (Opera
software) to offer personalised
services to its guests.
The hotel is a fairly recent
entrant with joint partnership
between Sheikh Ebrahim Bin
Khalid Al Khalifa and Lebanese
hotelier, Joseph Yazbeck (Grand
Hotel - Washington DC, Voltaire
Palace - Geneva, Plaza Hotel -
Beirut and more) at a time when
potential and demand for 5 Star
destination hotels in the Kingdom
of Bahrain is accelerating to
a vividly conscious necessity.
Capitalising on its location, L’Hotel
attracts its key visitors from
across the Saudi Causeway and
the surrounding Seef District and
Financial Hub. In the advent of

Best of Bahrain 49
Health and Beauty

the recent financial crisis, the hotel

industry, as a whole, has seen a
dip in expenditure and allowances.
This has placed stress upon hotels
to be more competitive by being
unique and flexible in their offerings
to a more demanding and careful
customer. L’Hotel has risen to the
occasion with a much-needed
offering at the right time.
Ralph Yazbek, General Manager
of L’Hotel is immediately inviting
and engaging, in testament to
his premier success-indicator, a
personalised approach to each and
every L’Hotel guest. The staff at
L’Hotel follow suit, knowing each
guest by name and the details
of their habitual preferences.
That is why L’Hotel attracts the
more attentive customer, VIPs,
corporates and a growing fan base
of cultural event goers who seek
an attentive orientation to their

50 Best of Bahrain
preferences and to some who
are acutely aware of their own
particular tastes.
Fully aware of the regional
demand for absolute comfort
and indulgence, L’Hotel is built
to supercede the standardized
definition of boutique and 5 Star
hotels. Yazbek elaborates with
delight about the humane touch
and personalised approach that is
L’Hotel’s signature and has guests
offering unstinted patronage.
“Our designs and room amenities
are unique,” he says while listing
examples of the e-Butler system
in every room, control blinds, triple
glazed windows to keep out any
obtrusive noises, direct and indirect
lighting, class A mattresses of 7
cm feathers, 1 cm thick protector
and 360 counts for the linen bed
spread. The furniture is Natuzzi,
custom-made and every room is
self equipped with its own high-
grade espresso machine. There is
no doubt that attention to details is
paramount here.
L’Hotel has introduced the bold
concept of Son Entrecote from
Le Relais de Venise in France-
one dish served impeccably and
repeatedly to a growing base of
loyal customers, Green Salad,
the American Angus beef steak
with its secret sauce and French
Fries served with a fork and knife.
Of course Yazbek is cautious of
introducing similar endeavours in
future. “One must be careful of
the product introduced, since the
market in Bahrain is small”, he
adds.
Nevertheless, L’Hotel has
managed to establish its name
through a combination of
innovative ideas. In a bid to
promote itself as a business and
cultural venue (Day and Night
concept), L’Hotel organises high
profile events in conjunction with
Bougi - a PR & management
consultancy which conducts savvy
PR and networking opportunity at
L’Hotel (www.bougilife.blogspot.com).
Everything is faced with a
stoic perseverance to push the
benchmark of personalized
services and ensure that the
approach is towards good taste
and quality. “We are not afraid to
discover markets or segments
that were not in our initial business
plan.” And he sums up, “The best
is yet to come. We are here to
serve the customer and cater to all
their needs.”
Tel: +973 17 567 2222
www.lhotelbahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 51
 Hotel Banyan Tree Al Areen
Banyan Tree, an internationally renowned chain of hotels
chose Bahrain to spread its roots through the Middle East.

52 Best of Bahrain
Not a surprising fact, considering
the presence of a large population
of expatriates and GCC residents.
With an architecture that boasts
of opulence and tradition that has
both Asian and Arabian influences,
Banyan Tree Al Areen in Bahrain
creates a unique atmosphere and
a wow factor for every visitor.
The aim is to create an
awareness and to offer the best
service in the country that is an
added value to the destination.
With a staff mix belonging to more
than 15 nationalities in the resort
all trained for cultural awareness
and adaptability to serve the clients
better, they act as Ambassadors
to the brand. Customer
care and service culture are
prominent factors in their training
programmes conducted daily.
The welcoming relaxed
atmosphere at Banyan Tree
Al Areen mostly attracts more
guests during weekends than the
week days. However, corporate
clients are slowly discovering the
conference facilities and filling up
the weekdays as well. Apparently,
the current financial climate has not
managed to dull its sheen.
While presenting a royal product
to attentive customers and
sustaining the brand legacy, the
staff members ensure that there
is no margin for error. And their
work has not gone unrecognised.
Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts
has won around 400 awards and
Banyan Tree Al Areen alone has
bagged more than five, the most
recent being The Best SPA Resort
in the World which speaks highly
for itself.
Tel: +973 17 84 5000
www.banyantree.com/en/alareen
Best of Bahrain 53
Chapter 2
Dining & Entertainment

54 Best of Bahrain
Best of Bahrain 55
 Fun, food, fiesta
Dining & Entertainment

Food and fun is available aplenty in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Ranging from
the traditional coffee shops to luxury international cuisine of all nations,
Bahrain caters to the gastronomic demands of a cosmopolitain audience.

With a multi-national expatriate
population living in the Kingdom,
it is fairly common to spot
restaurants serving not only Arabic
cuisines but international ones,
as well. For instance, a Mexican-
food connoisseur can head to
Senor Pacos, the oldest Mexican
restaurant available. This restaurant
is run by the Alsharif Group
comprising three entrepreneurs
who have taken the dining scene
in Bahrain to a whole new realm.
Their Café Italia, a classy Italian
restaurant and Memories of China,
an upscale Chinese restaurant
serve authentic dishes from Italy
and China respectively. The drive to
serve authentic food is so zealous
that even the firewood for the Italian
oven is imported directly from
the country. Such is the passion
behind food served in the Kingdom
of Bahrain.
Other noteworthy restaurants in
the Kingdom are Zoe, Mezzaluna,
Monsoon and Café Lilou. While
Mezzaluna is primarily popular for
serving a fine choice of wines, Zoe
is favored for its food served with
the fine beats composed by it’s in-
house DJ. Located at the centre
of Bahrain’s restaurant district in
Adliya, the four restaurants are
managed by Al Ghalia Group.
Ranging from high-end dining,

56 Best of Bahrain
trendy and hip dining to the small
café and bakery, these restaurants
receive good patronage from
residents and social or business
visitors, alike. The friendly
ambience of restaurants across
the Kingdom of Bahrain make the
customers wish to come back for
savoring more Arabian hospitality.
Entertainment
Shopping malls in the country
cater to both the dining and
entertainment needs of the visitors
and residents. With food courts
present in all the malls. Cinema
theatres located inside shopping
malls and elsewhere screen the
latest international movies. There
are various cultural events such
as the Spring of Culture (www.
springofculture.org) which takes
place each year in March. Other
ongoing concerts and plays with an
influx of international entertainers
can be attended at the Shaikh
Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa
Center for Culture and Research
in the district of Muharraq (www.
shaikhebrahimcenter.org). Live
bands and Djs are available at
various hotel and resort venues
throughout the Kingdom. Sport
events are popular such as cricket,
football, golf, rugby, sailing, diving,
horse riding, karting, motorsports
and of course the Formula One
Image by Bahrain House of Photography
racetrack at Bahrain International
Circuit (BIC). Also, a large indoor
water park touted to be the Middle
East’s largest, is set to open in
City Centre Mall. New real estate
projects like Amwaj Islands will
have a theme park and a waterfront
entertainment complex. Other
noteable venues are the bowling
and fun rides at Adhari Park, Al
Areen Wildlife Reserve and the Lost the popular hang-out spots party away. BJ’s Night Club in
Paradise of Dilmun waterpark in the are located in the Kingdom’s Hotel Al Bustan, Enigma in Hotel
Kingdom’s developing Southern capital Manama and the Windsor Tower and Bushido in
Governate. touristic resorts surrounding the Kingdom’s Seef District are
the island’s coasts. With a worth a visit among the others.
Nightlife wide range of bars, cafés and
There are many places in the nightclubs to choose from, a Refer to www.bahrainguide.org
Kingdom of Bahrain to chill visitor is often spoilt for choice for more information on Dining and
out in the evenings. Most of to spend a vibrant night and Entertainment in the Kingdom.
Best of Bahrain 57
 The Renaissance of
Chinese Cuisine

58 Best of Bahrain
Ken Lo’s Memories of China,
located in Adliya behind Café
Italia, has quickly become the
epicenter of Chinese cuisine
in Bahrain. Inspired by the
legendary Memories of China
establishments in London, it is
the first to open outside the U.K.,
bringing Cantonese style dishes
with London flair to Bahrain’s
burgeoning culinary scene.
Vibrance and sophistication
are two words often associated
with Memories of China, courtesy
of the eclectic mix of energetic
patrons nestled amidst a seating
area surrounded by sleek
architecture, clean sculpted décor,
and healthy dose of quintessential
Chinese inspired design elements.
The night is best started at MoC’s
chic lounge located upstairs,
where you are greeted by young,
spirited staff who are only too
eager to offer you a choice of
signature cocktails. Plush seating,
sultry lighting, and zen inspired
music make the lounge a perfect
place to mingle with company,
as you prepare to embark on the
culinary journey that awaits. It has
also become a popular venue for
private events.
Choosing amongst the
mouthwatering array of dishes is
a daunting undertaking, even for
the most discerning connoisseur
of Chinese cuisine. Comprised
of dishes created by the team
of professional chefs who have
honed their skills in some of the
best Chinese restaurants in Asia,
the menu maintains an enticing
selection of classic dishes, such
as Bahrain’s widest selection of
dim-sum including an assortment
of meat or vegetarian puffs,
buns and dumplings, as well
as Szechuan and Cantonese
inspired dishes such as Kung
Po Chicken, Spicy Prawns with
Pine Nuts, Quick Fried Beef in
Oyster Sauce, or Stir Fried Beef
in Chilli Sauce. But Memories
of China’s claim to fame are
their glorious signature dishes,
such as the Crispy Seaweed
with toasted Almonds, Sauteed
Spicy Salt & Pepper Prawns, the
uniquely scrumptuous Crispy
Shredded Beef, and of course representation of Bahrain’s
the immensely popular succulent gastronomic renaissance, and the
Crispy Aromatic Duck which is epitome of what every restaurant
unquestionably a must have to experience should truly be...
complete your culinary experience memorable.
at MoC. Open daily for Lunch: 12-3pm
Eating out has become and Dinner 7pm-2am.
an integral part of Bahrain
lifestyle, and Memories of China For reservations please call
has become undoubtedly, a +973 17 717080
Best of Bahrain 59
 Italian Reinvented
Dining & Entertainment
Since its opening in February
2007, Café Italia is an award
winning restaurant which
has firmly established itself in
Bahrain’s culinary stratosphere.
The dramatic, awe inspiring
décor designed by acclaimed
Bahrain based Italian designer
Davide Chiaverini is one of the
most stunning venues on the
island, and the sumptuous fusion
of classical and contemporary
Italian cuisine has translated into
gastronomic decadence.
60 Best of Bahrain
Renowned Executive Chef
Twedi Martatna leads the
culinary team, whose creations
combine classic and popular
dishes as well as contemporary
creations that employ innovative
culinary techniques as well
as the use of exotic imported
ingredients that are certain to
appease both purists of Italian
cuisine, and adventurists alike.
Appetizers include the Warm
pan seared U.S. King scallops
with green pea puree, black
olive hollandaise sauce and old
aged balsamic reduction, as
well as the Epicurean Wagyu
Beef Carpaccio of finely sliced
tenderloin served with crisp
celery salad, tomato cherry and
old aged balsamic dressing.
The quintessential fresh
pasta offerings include
divine dishes such as the
“Homemade Fresh Fettucini”
with tender slivers of Wagyu
Beef - perhaps the best beef in
the world - accompanied with
Porcini Mushroom and a splash
of White Truffle Oil, and the
“Homemade Capellini with Herb
Duckling Stew” comprising of
fresh angel hair pasta gently
tossed in light tomato sauce,
chili flakes, baby marrow and
herbed marinated duckling.
For the seafood
afficionado’s, Chef Twedi has
created dishes such as the
Meticulously crusted grain
mustard dory fillet with creamy
seasonal vegetables, carrot
juice and served with gravy, or
perhaps you may be enticed
by the “Grilled Hammour
Scallopine” - thinly sliced slivers
of grilled hammour with lemon
and extra virgin olive oil, served
on a bed of Romaine lettuce
and fried Arrancini di Risso.
Last but not least, the
carnivores are sure to be
delighted with the addition
of US Black Angus Rib-Eye
and T-Bone steaks, which
accompany the Black Angus
Tenderloin and the superb
Wagyu Beef Tenderloin
that Café Italia has become
reknowned for.
With so many new dishes to
sample, and a stunning venue
to dine with friends and family,
Café Italia will undoubtedly
pamper the senses and live up
to its mantra of being “Italian,
Reinvented.”
For reservations, please call
+973 17 744774
Best of Bahrain 61
 Bienvenidos Amigos
It was back in 1988 that Señor
Paco’s first opened its doors to
offer guests the country’s first
truly Mexican dining experience.
Dining at Señor Paco’s is more
than just eating out, it’s like
dropping in on old friend’s for a
warm relaxing evening of good
food and good company, in an
enchanting atmosphere capped
with the magic of live guitar music.
The atmosphere of the restaurant
is very friendly and homely, replete
with stained glass and bright
62 Best of Bahrain
Mexican style décor. The food is
delicious with a variety of authentic
traditional Mexican food, in
addition to the best of “new west
cuisine” which is an innovative
fusion of traditional recipes with
exceptional ingredients and new
culinary techniques.
Using only the freshest local
produce and coupled with their
welcoming and inviting service it all
adds to the restaurant’s lively and
friendly nature ensuring a great
night out.
In fact, Señor Paco’s is so
particular about the traditional
taste of its Mexican fare that exotic
special ingredients are required,
such as spices and chilies and
food stuffs that are imported
from Mexico and the Western
United States.
The restaurant also has great
deals for lunchtime diners where
prices are reduced for their Lunch
time special.
Señor Paco’s restaurant at
Adliya Avenue is open seven days
a week from Lunch:11.30am
- 3pm and Dinner: 6pm -12
Midnight.
Seef Mall Branch at Magic Island
opens from 10am-12 midnight.
For Reservations Call:
+973 17 725873
Fax: +973 17 825313/
+973 17 540029
Mail: pacos@batelco.com.bh
For Home Delivery Call:
+973 17 811375
Best of Bahrain 63
Chapter 3
Travel, Tourism & Events

64 Best of Bahrain
Best of Bahrain 65
 Travel, Tourism & Events
In a bid to be recognised as the ultimate travel destination that
showcases its arts and culture with prominence, the Kingdom of
Bahrain spares no efforts while working towards achieving its ambitions.
BAC Image of T1 arrival hall and forecourt

In line with Vision 2030, the took over the responsibility of is held at the Bahrain International talent as well. Mr. Rashid Al Oraifi,
Kingdom is all set to welcome the overseeing these operations. An Circuit (BIC) every year. and father-son duo, Mr. Abdullah
world right from the moment you important aspect of Vision 2030 A haven for art and history Al Muharraqi and Mr. Khalid Al
step on to its shore. will have been achieved if BAC buffs, the Kingdom of Bahrain Muharraqi are but few examples of
With connections to 52 meets the standards in the years invites the world to partake in its the Kingdom’s local talent that are
international destinations through to come. quest to witness, nurture and grow pushing the creative boundaries
37 airlines, the Bahrain International Besides the airport, the its culture heritage. The Bahrain in expressions and mediums
Airport (BIA) is currently on an national airline - Gulf Air is working National Museum that displays used. To encourage more creative
expansion mode to accommodate on improving its forces on a ancient artefacts, Qal’at al Bahrain diversification The Ministry of
the high influx of tourists that the sustainable scale. They include that has been declared as a Culture & Information (Spring of
country seeks to attract. To meet replacement of aircraft, alignment UNESCO World Heritage Site and Culture-www.springofculture.
the travel needs of the passengers, of air routes and retention of Qalat Arad are few of the venues org) and The Economic
the expansion will be carried out quality staff. The airline has been that are working diligently to Development Board (EDB)
in phases and estimated to be the sponsor of the Formula One support the display of arguably, the offer overwhelming support to
completed in 2038. In early 2008, Gulf Air Grand Prix ever since the Kiingdom’s most valuable assets. artists from various backgrounds
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) country played host to the race that The country does not lack artistic including photography, film,

66 Best of Bahrain
 Image by: Abdulla M. Al-Khan - www.bahrainhouse.com

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) is currently in the process of overseeing the

expansion of Bahrain International Airport (BIA) to accommodate more than
three times its current capacity (Image submission from BAC)

poetry, paintings, music and trade exhibitions, conferences

books. Non-profit organisations
like Elham (www.elhambahrain.
net), privately-owned Riwaq
Gallery (www.alriwaqgallery.org/
home.php), Shaikh Ebrahim bin
Mohammed Al Khalifa Centre
for Culture and Research (www.
and business meetings due to
its proximity to both the East
and the West, coupled with
competitive prices, technological
advancement and availability
of first-class services. Bahrain
Exhibition & Convention
Image of traditional basket weaving

shaikhebrahimcenter.org) act as Authority (BECA), the Kingdom’s

springboards for artists through
events like film screenings,
photography trips, lectures,
concerts, competitions and
exhibitions.
The Kingdom of Bahrain
is a perfect location to host
top authority in the Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences and
Exhibitions (MICE) sector aims
to promote the Kingdom of
Bahrain as a top business
tourism spot of choice in the
Gulf region.

Best of Bahrain 67
 Pole Position
They say ‘small is beautiful’ and undoubtedly, few other
countries exemplify this better than the Kingdom of Bahrain,
whose bold economic initiatives have set a regional benchmark
for excellence. If a nation’s evolution can be measured by its
infrastructure, then the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) best
represents the Kingdom of Bahrain’s positioning as a pioneer
of diversification in the Middle East.

The Kingdom 11 ofBest

Bahrain has developed a facility to
of Bahrain
complement68the demanding
Best of Bahrain
standards of professionalism
that the name ‘Formula One’ bears. Reflecting this is the
foundation upon which the BIC was built.
The undisputed ‘Home of
motorsport in the Middle East’
came into being in March 2004,
a mere 16 months after its initial
construction began. The brain
child of His Royal Highness Crown
Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad
al Khalifa, the venue is host to the
annual Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix,
as well as Drag, GT, GP2, Porsche
SuperCup, Formula 3 races
and the Australian V8 Supercar
Championship series.
A great venue for a new
generation of motorsport lovers,
from the region and beyond, the
extensive media coverage of
the annual races attracts racing
aces like Michael Schumacher,
Felipe Massa, Jenson Button,
Lewis Hamilton and Bahrain’s
own Sheikh Salman bin Rashid al
Khalifa and Hamad Al Fardan. By
promoting motorsports on such
a grand scale, the BIC brings to
light Bahrain’s truly global and
welcoming culture. This elite 6.4
km racing circuit located in the
south-western area of Bahrain,
is one of only 17 circuits world
wide that hosts a round of the FIA
Formula One World Championship.
Designed by German architect
Herman Tilke, the circuit is built on
a sprawling 169 hectare desert-
scape with a 36,000 seating
capacity and a further 7,000 seats
for corporate guests. Comprising
seven racing tracks, four of which
can be used simultaneously, the
outer track has been designed to
accommodate all racing disciplines
- corporate and incentive events as
well as all year round testing. The
complex also houses the region’s
leading off-road 4x4 course
‘Adventure Drive Arabia.’
Look no further for a bespoke
venue for corporate exhibitions
and product launches as the
BIC is the preferred forum to
host large events. The luxurious
Formula One, Formula 1 traditional centre, where all commercial rights, transforming
corporate hospitality suites speak
or F1 is officially known as teams are based, and where the sport into the billion-dollar
volumes about the BIC’s mark
the FIA Formula One World about half of the races business it is today. Formula
of international service. With the
Championship and is deemed take place. However, the One is a massive television
main operational building, Al Sakhir
the highest class of auto sport’s scope has expanded event, with a global audience of
Tower, offering a panoramic view
racing. ‘Formula’ refers to a significantly in recent years and 600 million people per season.
of the race track, the setting sun
set of rules that all participants Grand Prix’s are held world ‘The Formula One Group’
and the ocean, the BIC captures
and cars must comply with. wide. Events in Europe and the is the legal holder of the
both the traditional allure of the
The F1 season consists of a Americas have been dropped in commercial rights with
desert, in which it is situated, and
series of races, known as favour of races in Asia and the significant economic effect and
the glamour and excitement of
Grand Prix’s held on purpose- Far East. popularity making it an obvious
Formula 1.
built circuits with cars reaching Benie Ecclestone is widely merchandising environment
Although positioned in the
speeds of 360 km/h. credited with rearranging the and contributing to high
middle of the desert, the track is
Europe is Formula One’s management of Formula One’s sponsorship investments.
made of Graywacke aggregate

Best of Bahrain 69

With the continued support of its main
sponsor Gulf Air, the Bahrain Formula One
Grand Prix joins Australian V8 Supercars
series, the GP2 Asia races, as well as home
grown series such as the ‘Chevrolet V8
70 Best of Bahrain
Supercars Middle East’ and ‘Batelco 2.0
Litre Challenge’; in addition to the local
favourite, ‘Drag Championships’,
delivering a what Whitaker calls “an
important building block for BIC and the
The circuit, situated in the south-western
area of Bahrain, is welcomed from afar with
a view of the statuesque Al Sakhir Tower,
decorating the flat desert horizon. The clear
seas and the desert landscape are striking
geographical features that epitomize
Bahrain’s contrasts.
Kingdom at large”. By increasing
entertainment value and promoting the BIC
through regional events, Bahrain’s economy
stands to benefit from the kudos that the
circuit creates.
(largely Welsh granite) shipped
from the UK, and is highly
acclaimed by Formula One drivers
and F1 bosses for the high level of
grip it ensures.
The cost of building
Bahrain’s circuit amounted to
an approximate $150 million.
Returns on this investment
have benefited the Kingdom of
Bahrain’s economy and global
profiling, justifying the large
investment made. Not only do
the annual motor sporting events,
most notably the Formula One
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, attract
worldwide racing fans, it also
generates regular quality media
coverage for the Kingdom. By
signing a deal to host one leg of
the Formula One Championship
until 2016, Bahrain has secured
the opportunity to promote the
country’s diversification strategy by
propelling tourism and positioning
itself as a regional motor sport
hub. Martin Whitaker, CEO, BIC,
confidently explains, “Everyone
who visits the island as a direct
result of an event at the BIC pays
for an air ticket, stays in a hotel,
eats at a restaurant, hires a taxi
and shops at the malls - that adds
up to a significant and generous
proportional effect on the country’s
GDP.” But what actually makes
the destination so appealing is the
ease of access that Bahrain offers,
Formula One being one of the world’s most sought after sporting brands, has resulted in Bahrain benefitting by
being at the forefront of an elite club of 17 nations that host the premiere motorsport event annually.
as a holiday destination, to the
Middle East and Europe
In the process, Bahrain
has been given a face-lift as
one of the Gulf region’s fastest
growing nations, thanks to the
phenomenally successful six
Grands Prix rounds that it has
already hosted. The development
of the ultra modern circuit has
been a catalyst for the future
growth of the economy of
the Kingdom, while laying the
foundations for other ambitious
investments. Martin Whitaker
explains, “Without a shadow of
doubt the menu of regional and
international racing hosted at the
BIC has changed the perception,
awareness and profile of the
Kingdom to hundreds of millions
of people around the world”.
He adds that the Grand Prix
in Bahrain is being used as “a
platform on which to develop new
business while also encouraging
their counterparts to look at BIC
as a corporate hub and a place for
customer incentivisation.”
Media interest in the country
has increased tremendously ever
since Bahrain made history in
2004 by hosting the first Formula
One Grand Prix race held in the
Middle East. In 2005, the Gulf Air
Bahrain Grand Prix generated print
media coverage to the value of
$43 million, of which $12.4 million
was within Bahrain itself. The year
2006 saw a massive 780 percent
leap with a total media value and
global airtime exceeding that
of the entire Winter Olympics in
Torino. The total economic impact
on the Kingdom of Bahrain during
the three-day Formula One race
weekend totalled a staggering
$580 million.
In 2008, the BIC received
the prestigious FIA ‘Centre of
Excellence’ award from the FIA
Institute which makes it the only
Grand Prix circuit to hold such
an accolade. The Kingdom also
hosted the immensely successful
second annual FIA Summit
entitled ‘Medicine in Motorsport’,
as well as the inaugural ‘Motor
Sport Business Forum Middle
East’, which was designed to
focus new business opportunities
and media in the Middle East. The
forum that BIC provides for these
international summits promote
the diverse business opportunities
that Bahrain has to offer the world.
Also host to some of the most
splendid events, product launches
and corporate functions; in 2008
alone the circuit had a staggering
460 commercial events with a
further 150 charity and community
events. Not only is the BIC
home of the development of
regional motorsport with a vibrant
karting circuit and community, it
also has a portfolio of corporate
and retail events that are
characterised by a wealth of
entertainment options.
Standing as an icon of
diversification in a rapidly evolving
region, the core element of
Bahrain’s business strategy has
been endorsed by the Bahrain
Economic Development Board’s
new annual partnership with
the BIC with the launch of the
‘@ Bahrain’ branding of the
new Sakhir City Development
Corporation business park.
This will also oversee the
expansion of Bahrain’s links to the
automotive sector, demonstrating
precisely how the circuit and
adjacent land is being used to
promote opportunities for
business development, thereby
highlighting the geographical
importance of Bahrain as
transportation and trading
centre point. Another striking
example of how the BIC stands
as an ‘oasis in the desert’, is the
rapid rise of world class hotels
and resorts like the Banyan Tree
Al Areen Resort and Spa, Four
Seasons Hotels and the Ritz-
Carlton allowing for luxury stay
options for visitors during the
races and otherwise.
Tel: +973 17 45 0000
www.bahraingp.com
 Gulf Air
With 60 years of operations in the region, Gulf Air has
become synonymous with Arabian hospitality, enhanced
by a wide range of services in the air and on the ground.

Gulf Air’s training programmes are comprehensive that cover all divisions of the company.
Starting from the regular, ongoing induction and refresher training programmes for cabin
crew staff, our training programmes include Tamkeen’s Career Progression Programme
for staff, ground operations programmes, management development workshops and
periodic skills development workshops and customer service training programmes.

The passion for innovation and
high quality service delivery for
which Gulf Air earned its reputation
in the 70s and 80s for its luxurious
Tristar services continues even
today. In recent years, Gulf Air has
won international recognition for its
several innovative products such
as Sky Nanny, Sky Chef and dine-
on-demand that have set a trend
for other airlines to follow.
What is the range of
challenges you face in
ensuring that your model
serves the truest interests
of your stakeholders and of
Bahrainis as a whole?
Our mandate is clear; to build
an efficient, commercially
sustainable and dynamic airline
that effectively serves the people
and the economy of Bahrain and
represents the Kingdom on the
world stage. There are challenges
to achieve this goal as the aviation
industry in general is very volatile
and subject to several factors
such as changing marketplace,
fluctuating fuel prices and geo-
political events. Add to this is the
aggressive expansion by regional
and international competitors in
the region who are competing for
the same capacity.
Gulf Air’s new strategy has a
strong business model in place
that aims to become a regional
leader and the preferred choice
for travel throughout the Gulf and
Middle East, connecting more
points throughout the region than
our competitors by identifying
commercially viable and profitable
routes. As such the following will
be key drivers;
• Bahrain first – emphasis on
high quality service for the local
business market
• Future growth – connect
Bahrain to over 50
destinations, including up to 20
new locations
• Commercial advantage –
tailoring the fleet to serve more
points with non-stop services

72 Best of Bahrain

• Regional leader – focusing on
frequency and higher-value
markets
• Brand excitement – create a
dynamic, lean, customer driven
national Bahraini carrier
What is your vision for
expansion, in terms of fleet
and staff?
 Towards achieving this, Gulf Air
has already started an active re-
fleeting programme under which
new A320  aircraft are being
With unbeatable prices along with a “lowest fares guaranteed”
promise available online, any time is best to travel with Gulf Air.
inducted in to the fleet replacing
the older ones progressively.
Another major development is
the inclusion of regional jets into
its fleet - Embraer 170 Advanced
Range jets. The aim is to serve
every Arab capital with at least
a double -daily service and the
regional jets will help achieve this
objective. As Gulf Air  progresses
in this direction, it will soon have a
stable of brand new aircraft for its
customers to enjoy a new travel
experience.   East region on a consistent basis.
How important is sustainability
to your organisation? How have
you incorporated the concept
in the aviation business?
Sustainability is key to the success
of our business and it is clearly laid
out in our new strategy that states
building an efficient, commercially
sustainable and dynamic airline
that effectively serves the people
and the economy of Bahrain
and represents the Kingdom
internationally. In order to achieve
this, Gulf Air will offer customers
more value for money, re-align
the network to reflect customer
demand as well as redesign the
product to deliver more customer
value on a consistent basis.
Gulf Air will improve the
customer experience by
introducing several attractive
new product innovations,
seating arrangements, in-flight
entertainment and other on-board
amenities, tailored to the Middle
Gulf Air will also aim to reduce fleet
costs and minimise expenditure
that no longer adds customer
value.
As the title sponsor of the
Bahrain Grand Prix until 2010,
what are your plans about
further association with sports?
In addition to being the title
sponsor of Grand Prix since its
first race in the Kingdom, Gulf
Air is also the shirt sponsor of
the London-based football club
‘Queens Park Rangers’. Gulf Air
has always been a keen supporter
of sports as it has sponsored
several regional and local sports
event, previously. The airline will
continue to extend its support
to sports events as and when
required.
How has the recent economic
downturn created an impact in
your organisation?
Like all other airlines in the world,
Gulf Air also had to bear the
brunt of the economic downturn.
However, the Kingdom of Bahrain’s
is one of the few economies that
have successfully managed the
downturn and business is growing.
Gulf Air took some rationalisation
measures to respond to the low-
demand. Despite the recession,
Gulf Air was able to maintain the
same number of travellers last year
vis a vis 2008.
www.gulfair.com
Best of Bahrain 73
 Bahrain Exhibition &
Travel, Tourism & Events

Convention Authority (BECA)

Keys to BECA’s success since its establishment
in Bahrain and how it contributes to the overall
economic development of the country.

Keys to the success of
Bahrain Exhibition &
Convention Authority (BECA)
since its establishment:
Commitment to building a culture
that places our customers at the
heart of everything it does, i.e.,
customers’ needs and aspirations
genuinely form the basis for the
design and delivery of BECA’s
services, thereby providing
exceptional value to customers;
Challenges the expectations
of people who may have
preconceptions about Bahrain
by doing everything possible
to ensure the country is at the
top of the list when it comes
to organisations choosing their
destinations;
Partnerships with industry
stakeholders, internally and
externally;
Diversification of its portfolio
BECA was established by
Law No. 62 for the year 2006
which was promulgated on 4th
September 2006. It functions
under the Ministry of Industry
& Commerce, Kingdom of
Bahrain and is governed by a
Board of Directors. The current
Chairman of the BECA Board
is His Excellency Dr. Hassan A.
Fakhro, the Minister of Industry &
Commerce.
How BECA contributes to the
overall economic development
of the Kingdom of Bahrain :
Bahrain’s Meetings, Incentives,
Conventions & Exhibitions

74 Best of Bahrain

(MICE) sector is aggressively
investigating opportunities which
enables it to contribute to the
National Economy. BECA has
embarked on initiatives with the
objective of establishing Bahrain
on the international arena, as a
unique and key MICE destination
in line with the Government of
Bahrain’s 2009 to 2014 National
Economic Strategy of becoming
a regional and global destination
for MICE.
BECA’s core business and
service offerings and the
scope of BECA’s local market
development activities
BECA is the forerunner
organisation with a mandate to
market Bahrain as a preferred, all
year-round, business destination
and cultivate partnerships with
key MICE industry stakeholders
by pursuing market development
work in the international business
sector. Its MICE, Destination
Marketing & PR Department
seeks to achieve this mandate
by nurturing a healthy business
environment for the exhibition,
convention, meetings and
incentive travel community in
partnership with the Bahrain
International Exhibition &
Convention Centre (BIECC), the
Bahrain Economic Development
Board (EDB), Gulf Air, Bahrain
Chamber of Commerce & Industry,
Tourism Affairs and the hospitality
and leisure tourism industry.
In addition, BECA is the owner
and organiser for the annual
Food & Hospitality Expo (www.
foodexpbh.com) which was held
for the 2nd annual time on the 12-
14th January 2010, and doubled
in size in both participants and
visitors. In addition it is planning a
new Sport, Leisure and well being
expo in 2011.
BECA is also the venue operator
for the (BIECC), the country’s
largest and most flexible trade
show and convention facility with
more than 16,000 square meters
of interconnected meeting and
exhibition space.
The competitive landscape
of the industry and BECA’s
competitive strengths
Competitive landscape of the
industry
Global exhibition/conventions
market is high growth and lucrative
for city and state economies,
but intensely competitive and
demanding of state-of-the-art,
purpose-built facilities. All industry
eyes are on the Middle East now
as a series of exhibition venue
development are occurring
particularly in the Gulf Cooperation
Council.
BECA’s competitive strengths
• Strong support from the Bahrain
Government
• Value for money
• Flexibility
• Diversified portfolio
• Improved customer
communication and service
efforts
How BECA attracts and serves
its partners/customers
BECA considers its harmonised
alliances with industry
stakeholders such as Tourism
Affairs, Bahrain’s Economic
Development Board (EDB), Gulf
Air, Bahrain International Circuit,
Bahrain Chamber of Commerce
& Industry and others from the
leisure and hospitality sectors very
valuable in attracting conference
business to Bahrain.
Building a destination as a
brand entails the synergistic
and collegial efforts of all MICE
stakeholders - it is all about
relationships. In order to attract
conference business in these
challenging times, we have
embarked on a series of initiatives
to play up the unique experiences
being offered by Bahrain.
Team Bahrain
One of these is Team Bahrain
which was launched earlier this
year in support of the Bahrain
Government’s efforts to improve
the destination’s supporting
infrastructure for its MICE industry.
Team Bahrain is the working
group of Bahrain’s MICE sector
currently comprised of more than
40 representatives from the public
and private sectors. Formed
to gain buy-in from Bahrain’s
business and leisure tourism
industry stakeholders, Team
Bahrain serves as a forum for our
community of suppliers to acquire
industry knowledge and assists
them in ensuring that the delivery
of their service, product and facility
Best of Bahrain 75

to international MICE buyers and
planners remain consistent to
world-class standards.
Partnership with Gulf Air as
BECA’s Official Carrier
In 2009, BECA and Gulf Air
entered into a strategic alliance
aimed at boosting Bahrain’s
position as a leading destination
for corporate meetings,
incentive travel, conferences
and exhibitions. Following
the signing of the agreement
between Bahrain’s national
carrier and its MICE Authority
(BECA), Gulf Air became the
76 Best of Bahrain
official carrier for all events
organised by BECA in Bahrain
and abroad.
Renewal of Alliance with
Bahrain Chamber of Commerce
& Industry (BCCI)
BECA and BCCI renewed in 2009
their partnership to increase trade
and investment linkages and
optimise economic opportunities in
the realm of the MICE sector.
Encouraging partnerships
with local and international
organisations for its
exhibitions
Organisations are recognising the
value of face-to-face interaction in
driving business.
BECA’s events serve as a
strategic platform for businesses
wishing to access a market of
more than 274 million people in
the Northern Gulf. For instance,
BECA signed partnership
agreements with public and
private sector organisations for
its second Food & Hospitality
Expo,2010, where TUV Middle
East (Member of TUV NORD
Group), a German Inspection,
Certification and Training Body,
conducted workshops to help
people understand the necessary
requirements to comply with
the International Food Safety
Management System Standard
during the three-day premier,
international food and hospitality
event. Basic Food Hygiene, Basic
Health and Safety for Catering
Industry, Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point are some of the
topics that were discussed at the
workshops aiming to raise safety
standards and preserve consumer
confidence in the products of the
food industry in Bahrain.
How BECA develops significant
international relations
Developing global partnerships with
Professional Exhibition Organisers
(PEOs), Professional Conference
Organisers (PCOs) and Industry
Associations is among the initiatives
of BECA aimed at bringing new
MICE business to Bahrain.
It develops significant
international relations through
its memberships in Industry
Associations. BECA is a member
of several key MICE industry
associations including the
American Society of Association
Executives (ASAE), Singapore-
based Asian Federation of
Exhibition & Convention
Associations (AFECA), Brussels-
based International Association of
Congress Centres (AIPC), Paris-
headquartered Union des Foires
Internationales (UFI), Amsterdam-
based International Congress &
Convention Association (ICCA),
Dallas-based Meeting Professionals
International (MPI), Chicago-
headquartered Society of Incentive
Travel Executives (SITE) and
Hertfordshire-based Association
of Event Venues Limited (AEV).
BECA’s memberships in these
associations allow the Authority to
build a strong community of peers,
connect with industry experts and
access a vast array of on-line and
print resources to build on industry
know-how.
BECA also participates in key
B2B, international events dedicated
to the MICE industry such as
IMEX in Frankfurt and EIBTM in
Barcelona.
BECA’s current activities and
foreseeable potential business
or opportunities in/from the
Japanese/Asian/International
markets
BECA coordinates Bahrain’s
international B2B show, Aluminium
China, which is held annually.
BECA’s events are also
populated by Asian exhibitors
wishing to penetrate the lucrative
Gulf market.
Future expansion plans and
growth strategies of BECA
With support of the Kingdoms
leadership, Expo City a new
flagship facility for Bahrain is being
developed which will increase the
area covered by the existing Centre
by nearly ten-fold. Scheduled to
be fully operational by 2013, Expo
City (expo@bahrain) will be built
adjacent to Bahrain International
Circuit (The Home of Formula One
in the Middle East), northeast of
the capital Manama. It will have
the capacity to hold national,
regional and international events
simultaneously. The state-of-the-art
exhibition and convention facilities
will have three, four and five star
hotels with a combined capacity of
1,200 rooms, as well as a multi-
purpose indoor arena, dining,
leisure and entertainment services.
It will include hotels in the three-,
four- and five-star category for a
combined capacity of 1,200 rooms.

BECA’s goals and vision for the

company in the short term as
well as in the long term

BECA’s General Objectives

• To promote the Kingdom

of Bahrain as the regional
exhibition and conference hub
• To contribute to attracting
international exhibitions and
conferences, particularly
specialised events
• To contribute to developing the
proactive infrastructure efficiency
• To allocate BIECC to host
specialised exhibitions and
conferences and limit hosting of
public exhibitions
• To develop a marketing strategy
that includes local, regional
and international conferences,
including meetings, cultural
events and various recreational,
entertainment and sports
events.
• To promote continuous co-
operation with the Bahrain’s
hotel and tourism sector
in marketing international
exhibitions and conferences
• To develop the exhibition
industry through co-operating
with various countries
• To support and encourage
2006 – 2009 Demand for MICE Events in Bahrain
local traders in organizing
Venue-Wise Event Bookings 2006 – 2009
and participating in local and
Since its establishment as Bahrain’s forerunner
international exhibitions and
MICE Authority in 2006, BECA has been
conferences through co-
instrumental in growing the total number of
ordination with the Bahrain
bookings at BIECC :
Chamber of Commerce and
Industry
Event Bookings : 223 per cent increase
2006 : 43
BECA will continue promoting
2007 : 113
Bahrain as the regional exhibition
2008 : 125
and conference hub and contribute
2009 : 139
to attracting international
exhibitions and conferences,
Tenancy days : 129 per cent increase
particularly specialised events, to
2006 : 265
our destination.
2007 : 559
2008 : 571
2009 : 608
www.beca.bh

Best of Bahrain 77
Image by: Abdulla M. Al-Khan - www.bahrainhouse.com

78
Best of Bahrain
Arts & Culture
Chapter 4
Best of Bahrain 79
 Capital of Dilmun and
its ancient harbour
Bahrain is home to the most
important civilisation of the Gulf
region–Dilmun civilisation (from the
end of the 3rd to the middle of the
first millennium BC). In recognition
of this fact, the UNESCO declared
the Qal’at al-Bahrain site as a
world heritage site in 2005. On 18
February 2008, Qal’at al-Bahrain
Site Museum was launched with
sponsorship by Arcapita Bank
under the platform of Investing in
Culture (www.investinginculture.bh).
A fort present in the Qal’at
al-Bahrain site bears testimony
to the time gone by. Built at the
end of the 13th century AD, the
fort is located atop a 17.5 hectare
artificial hill signifying almost
4000 years of continuous human
80 Best of Bahrain
occupation (ca 2200 BC-17
century AD).
The most valuable part of the
site is not the fort itself but the
history of civilisations that existed
at the site. From 1954 to the
present, The Danish, French and
Bahraini excavations on the site
of Qal’at al-Bahrain have revealed
its key importance and long
occupation history. In virtue of
its strategic location, the ancient
settlement had rapidly prospered
to become the capital of the
Dilmun civilisation and its ancient
harbour.
Qal’at al-Bahrain site museum
To the north of the fort, lies the
Qal’at al-Bahrain site museum
(designed by Wohlert Arkitekter)
along the waterfront and acts as
a gateway to the archaeological
site. The visitor passes through a
pathway equipped with audio-
guide (that can be collected at
the museum) and service facilities
to reach the site. About 500
objects were found here during
excavations carried out from
1954 to 2008.
Besides an expansive Tell
Wall, that recounts the site’s
archaeological layers, the visitor
is transported into history
while passing through the five
halls, each representing one
historic period in chronological
progression starting with the
Dilmun (2200 BC - 300 BC),
through Tylos (300 BC – 400 AD)
and Islamic periods (1250 AD -
1650 AD).
Unearthed civilisations behind
the Qal’at al-Bahrain site
Since its foundation, Qal’at al-
Bahrain served as an important
business point among traders
from Mesopotamia, Persia,
Eastern Arabia, Central Asia and
the Indus region. While the first
city (ca. 2200 BC) revealed a
small settlement organised on
oasis agriculture, hunting and
fishing, “City II” (ca. 2050 to 1750
B.C.) was a well fortified city
covering a surface of 12 to 15
hectares. A group of monumental
architecture, defined as a palace,
prospered for several hundred
years.
In the Middle Dilmun
(1750- 900 BC) civilization
period, the Kassites, settlers
from Mesopotamia, occupied
the site. Archaeological work
uncovered the residence of this
new governance which was
probably settled in the restored
palace of the former kings of
Dilmun. Over a 100 cuneiform
tablets in Akkadian language
hold evidence of the existence
of an active administration.
Other interesting mechanisms
found and showcased in the Site
Museum are a Date Incubator
used to create date syrup and a
Sarcophagus in Bitumen (an oil
based substance).
The Sarcophagus was used to
bury people with their valuables
to help them to their journey in
the afterlife.
All the excavated tombs
contained funerary items. As the
inhabitants believed in the after
Best of Bahrain 81
Health and Beauty
life, the diseased was buried
with some of his personal
belongings.
In the Late Dilmun (900
– 300 BC) civilisation, Qal’at
al Bharain site prospered
tremendously. For instance,
excavations uncovered a
luxurious architectural complex
with public and private areas, a
central courtyard and elaborate
sanitary system. Another
interesting discovery is of the
more than fifty snake sacrifices
that were deposited in bowls
hidden beneath the floors in
several areas of the palace.
Moreover, a sanctuary and a
zone of metallurgic workshops
were recovered in the vicinity
of the palace. The snake was
82 Best of Bahrain
venerated as a symbol of fertility
and has some links to the Epic
of Gilgamesh and his search
in Dilmun for immortality. Also
found are copper smelting
pots which reveal a history in
manufacturing traded items.
During the Hellenistic period,
known as Tylos (300 BC - 600
AD), the island undergoes an
exceptional phase of prosperity,
apparently losing status as the
island’s capital but remaining
nevertheless the island’s
major port as attested by the
character of the finds. During
the 2nd- 3rd century AD, a
fortress was built north of the
settlement and used as an
important military administrative
complex.
The Islamic period (12th to
17th century AD) saw a flurry
of activity. The former coastal
Tylos fortress was converted
into a commercial warehouse.
This commercial activity
brought back the wealth of the
settlement.
Following intricate political
events and power changes at
the end of the 13th and the
beginning of the 14th centuries
AD, a new fortress was erected
and protected by a moat.
It was however a mediocre
construction which had to
be constantly restored as a
result of emergent Portuguese
threats. In 1529, the fort
could resist no longer the
Portuguese artillery and hence
became under the Portuguese
dominion. In 1559, the fort
was reinforced by 3 bastions
following an attempted attack
by the Ottomans.
Progressively, as the access
channel to the site became
too shallow, the maritime
traffic was directed to
Manama and Qal’at al-Bahrain
site was soon abandoned.
Today, it offers a peek at the
glorious past of the Dilmun
civilation to visitors and
tourists from all over the world.
The Museum Café
The seaside café welcomes
visitors everyday from 8am to
8pm.
Facilities:
• Sea front Café
• Auditorium
• Accommodation facilities

Opening hours:
• Tuesday to Sunday
• 8am to 8pm
• Guided tours of the museum
are available all day –
Booking advised
• Trilingual audio-guides for the
fort can be collected at the
museum.

Tel: +973 17 56 7170/171/174

www.investinginculture.bh

Best of Bahrain 83
 “Pearling” World Heritage
Arts & Culture

proposal submitted to UNESCO

Bahrain is aiming for international recognition of its
pearling heritage by proposing it for listing as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

will decide about the site’s economy”, consists of three

Officials from the Ministry of
Culture and Information, Sector
of Culture and National Heritage
have in January 2010 submitted
the nomination documents
for the heritage site “Pearling,
Searching for pearls
testimony of an island economy”
at the UNESCO headquarters in
Paris. Therewith a one and a half
year cycle of evaluation begins
upon which the UNESCO’s
World Heritage Committee
inscription to the list during
its meeting in Bahrain in the
summer of 2011.
The site commemorates
Bahrain’s pearling era and the
single product economy that has
sustained the country for many
centuries. Bahrain is known
as the prime location for the
collection and trade of pearls
which has intensely shaped
the Kingdom’s identity. Since
historic times various sources
acknowledge the outstanding
role of Bahrain’s pearls which
are said to be especially
beautiful and of the highest
quality. The pearling testimony
would be Bahrain’s second
World Heritage site, after “Qal’at
al-Bahrain – Ancient Harbour
and Capital of Dilmun” had
been granted this prestigious
distinction in 2005.
The heritage site “Pearling,
testimony of an island
oyster beds in the territorial
waters of Bahrain. The oyster
beds are located 40 to 70
kilometers off the northern
shores of the island of Bahrain.
A seashore at the southern tip
of Muharraq links
Oyster these
bed marine
– Hayr Shtaya
parts of the site to its urban
components. The seashore with
its natural beach is the only
remaining authentic location in
Muharraq where dhow fleets
during the pearling era left and
arrived at the beginning and
end of the four-month long pearl
collection season each summer.
The seashore also features the
remains of the historic defense
fort Qal’at Bu Mahir. From there
a pathway connects 11 urban
sites, consisting of 16 historic
buildings located throughout
the historic settlement of
Muharraq. These residential,
commercial and public buildings
represent different professions

84 Best of Bahrain
 Pearl diving
(such as the pearl diving crew
with divers, haulers, captains;
pearl merchants etc.), and key
functions or themes within
the pearling economy and its
society (commercial, religious
and social places such as
a mosque; warehouses for
boat construction and diving
equipment; medical treatment
for divers; sweet water supply
and many more). Thus, a vivid
and comprehensive picture of
the pearling era and its varied
heritage is conveyed at the site.
The Ministry’s initiative which
involves a long list of partners
from the public and private realm
of Bahrain’s society includes
a program for protecting and
promoting the heritage site. The
site’s different components are
protected as national heritage
and their significance made
comprehensible for the public.
To this aim, the historic buildings
are restored and partly fitted
with exhibitions on their theme
and individual family (hi)stories.
Crucial for this endeavor are the
stories and the knowledge about
the pearling era that lie with the
people of Bahrain and Muharraq.
Traditions such as the pearling
songs that are popular up to
today are equally important. The
3.22 km long pathway and urban
space that connects the historic
buildings will be rehabilitated
and improved to meet the needs
of visitors and the residents of
Muharraq. But also diving for
pearls are activities which the
program supports on the site.
The oyster beds, for example are
planned to be made accessible
to the public through boat
excursions that involve pearl
diving. To this end one of the
capacity building schemes that
the Ministry aims to offer to the
Bahraini labor market is to train
pearl divers for both commercial
and tourism purposes and to
make Bahrainis benefit from this
abandoned ancient tradition. But
also other traditional professional
skills will be revived, such as
the craftsmanship required for
the restoration of the historic
buildings and pearl jewellery
making.
After intense diagnostic
and research work that has
been carried out since 2007
and during which the project
concepts have been finalized,
the implementation phase
will now start with the first
restoration works and the
provision of visitor facilities. The
ambitious plan of the program
for the next 2 years include
not only the restoration of the
historic structures but also the
construction of a visitor centre
in the suq of Muharraq as well
as other interpretive facilities in
Muharraq. However, many of the
program’s activities are long term
projects. The urban rehabilitation
works, which are a joint
endeavor of various authorities
and the local community, will
increasingly take effect to make
historic Muharraq an attractive
living environment with a
traditional flair. This will likewise
appeal to visitors and help boost
the economy of Muharraq.
Currently archeological
excavations can be observed at
the Amarat Fakhro in the suq of
Muharraq. The archaeological
team led by experts from the
British Oxford Brookes University
have already found fascinating
objects that reveal the use of the
site during the late pearling era.
But they have also discovered
evidence of much older periods
of Muharraq’s city history which
are currently being further
investigated. In preparation
of the nomination documents
for the site, the Sector for
Culture and National Heritage
has conducted much research
concerning the site and the
pearling economy. Soon, first
rehabilitation works of historic
structure and surrounding urban
space will for example be visible
in Suq al Qaysariya which will be
yet another heritage attraction.
Further extensive research
work in close contact with the
local community is coming
up including more interviews
conducted to gather knowledge
regarding the pearling era and its
society. This will equally serve as
a backbone for future exhibitions
on the site and for an informative
website that is currently under
construction. A library and
archive in the planned visitor
centre will make this valuable
pool of knowledge accessible
to public to stimulate further
research into this significant
aspect of Bahraini history.
An upcoming competition
which the Sector for Culture
and National Heritage will soon
launch is aiming particularly to
excite the younger generation
of Bahrain in support of their
pearling heritage. Young
Bahrainis will be invited to gather
stories of pearling from the older
generations and witnesses of
that era in order to safeguard this
valuable key to Bahrain’s past.
Siyadi majlis
As part of Investing in Culture
the Pearling project is currently
on display among many other
cultural activities and assets at
the Investing in Culture exhibition
at the Bahrain National Museum.
Initiated in 2006 under the
patronage of His Royal Highness
Prince Salman Bin Hamad
Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince and
Deputy Supreme Commander,
the Investing in Culture project
is aimed at enhancing an active
partnership between the private
and public sectors to financially
and morally support new cultural
projects aimed at human
development with preservation
of national identity. The launch of
the project was initiated by H.E.
Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed
Al-Khalifa, Minister of Culture
and Information, during the
opening of the accompanying
exhibition at the Bahrain National
Museum on February 8th. In
support of culture and mutual
cooperation, the exhibition
highlights implemented as well
as envisaged projects that
are supported by the private
and public sectors dedicated
to culture and arts and that
contribute to the definition of
Bahrain’s cultural identity (www.
investinginculture.bh/flash.html).
For further information
please contact
Pearling@info.gov.bh
Soon more information will
be available at
www.pearling.com
Best of Bahrain 85
 Bahrain Talents
Arts & Culture

A very small selection of Bahrain Talents are featured here with an outlook for
further future representation of the multiple and diverse professional, aspiring
and budding talents that are available in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Image by Rana Tabbara rskaini@gmail.com, Image Title: Sheikh Sayyed

 Image by Sowsan Hassan - sowsanwest@hotmail.com

Image by Ghada Khunji www.ghadakhunji.com

The Best of Bahrain publication

seeks to be an asset to the
nation, as a vehicle serving the
Image by Mr Baraa Abdulla www.qafza3d.com

communities best interests

for growth and development.
Bahrain’s Talents have sustained
the heart of this publication and
inspired our efforts in exhibiting
the most instinctive aspirations
of this community in alignment
with the success of Bahrain’s
corporations and personalities
that are likewise built upon these
very same aspirations. In the
following pages you will see a
Image by Latifa Al Shakar - alshakar@gmail.com

large selection of Photographs

in and around the Kingdom of
Bahrain that are generously
contributed by Bahrain’s citizens
and visitors to the Kingdom.
A special thanks goes out to
our advisors who have worked
with us to plant the seeds for
recognizing and developing
Bahrain’s Talents. Notably:
Photographer Ms Deyana
Ahmadi, the region’s leading Image by Jose Romualdo rcumagun@ahliauniversity.edu.bh

Best of Bahrain 87
Painting by: Faika Al Hassan - alhasanf@hotmail.com (Painter)

Image by Ghada Khunji www.ghadakhunji.com


commercial photographer and
a huge asset to the nation;
Painter / Lecturer Ms. Balqees
Fakhro, one of the top most
influential personalities in the
Kingdom; Artist, Rashid Al Oraifi;
Architect / Designer, Mr. Ahmed
Bucheery and his staff at Ewan
Architectural and Engineering
Consultancy, Creative Writer
and Founder of Elham Creative
Arts Group Mr. Ali Al Saeed;
CG Designer and Founder of
Muharraqi-Studios Mr. Khalid
Al-Muharraqi; Managing Director
of advertising arm for JWT Mr.
Younes Skaini; to all for their
support and consideration of the
Image by: Elgin Vande Wiele elginm@gmail.com, Image Title: Morning blues in Muharraq
Painting by: Danny Lawless - lawlessdesigns@hotmail.com
Best of Bahrain publication, we
hope to work more diligently with
you in the future.
Also many thanks to all
Moosa Silwadi - www.knotconstruction@gmail.com
contributors listed (see Index of
names on page 188).
Best of Bahrain will continue to
seek Bahrain’s Talents and is
growing its database via info@
gvpedia.com, or www.facebook.
com/bestofbahrain
Best of Bahrain 89
 An Ancient
civilization
meets modern
art
Rashid Al Oraifi

Bahrain is the smallest country in the GCC but

one of the richest in terms of culture, art and heri-
tage. The islands of Bahrain were once the seat of
one of the greatest trading empires of the ancient
world, the Delmon civilization, and traces of this
influence still permeate. Delmon was founded dur-
ing the Bronze Age in approximately 3000BC and
existed for over 2000 years. The civilization initially
developed as a trading hub thanks to its pivotal
geographical position along the trade route linking
Mesopotamia, today’s southern Iraq, and the Indus
Valley, now India and Pakistan. Archaeologists have
unearthed over 300,000 graves throughout Bahrain
that provide a fascinating glimpse into the history
of the region, and the Government is understand-
ably eager to preserve and protect these sites.

Best of Bahrain 91
 “My art is an expression
of my being, my soul and
represents me in all international
exhibits and studios.”
O ne individual seeking to unite this
ancient civilization with the twenty-
first century, however, is Rashid Al Oraifi;
artist and founder of the Rashid Al Oraifi
museum. His mission is to educate and
inform, by displaying Delmon sculptures
and artefacts as well as creating art
inspired by this era. It is located in a
city named Muharraq that is known for
it still preserved heritage, the museum
is an enclave of calm and a tribute to
the Kingdom of Bahrain’s compelling
heritage; decorative gypsum designs
cover the walls and window frames,
and a central courtyard paved with
locally made bricks and enhanced with
bronze sculptures adds to the sense of
openness of the overall design.
When and why did you first start
your operations in Bahrain? How
has this environment inspired you?
The idea was encompassing me as
a dream for a long time. Where I am
today was a result of compounded
struggle that eventually led to my ideas
being realized. The museum, by its
nature and its educational, social and
cultural objectives, is by far my greatest
inspiration as it includes 77 art pieces
and 26 statues, exhibited throughout 7
halls. Everything represents the Delmon
Civilization; I have been living this
traditional and authentic Delmon era as
an inspiration for a long time.
What changes have you witnessed
in terms of the Kingdom’s
development as a Middle Eastern
hub for Art and visual media?
I have lived through and witnessed most
of the political, social and economic
events that have befallen this region.
As an artist I am part and parcel of any
positive changes in the Kingdom, whilst
the Kingdom’s growth is part of my
cultural and artistic development. I give
and I receive.
In Bahrain we have witnessed many
great developments such as freedom
and reformation, both of which are
crucial for an artist as it moves him to
contribute. Another positive event is
the formation of the Contemporary Art
Society which was formed as a joint
effort with my colleague, Karim
Al Orayyed.
What challenges do you face in
developing your Art? Do you plan
any expansions, if so, when, what
and why?
The greatest challenge I face as
an artist is to get proper media
coverage regarding my achievements,
contributions and production. There is
not enough promotion regarding this
type of art, it tends to be far too ad hoc.
However, it’s wonderful to witness
that people are now more interested
Equally at ease in
in contemporary Delmon art, and this
is reflected in high demand and an diverse mediums,
increase in sales. For me, to expand is
Al Oraifi brings art
to produce more art.
Can you briefly run through the
individual themes of your art, your
operations and services, explaining
the new trends and approaches in to life as it enriches the
your field?
I derived all my inspiration and
innovation from Delmon art. I’ve been
researching and studied this school
culture and
heritage
of art for over forty years. Most of my
exhibits in the museum are inspired from
that era, and I believe that visitors from
all over the world have appreciated it
of the region.
and enjoyed it.
As the Bahraini economy and
population continues to expand
and diversify, is there any loss of
the unique heritage and culture
belonging to the kingdom? If so,
what are you doing to redress
this situation?
Bahrain has never underestimated
the importance of modernization
or the perseverance of architecture
heritage. Many other countries sought
to renovate old houses and make
them into a central tourism attraction
within the tourism industry, which is
what inspired Bahrain to set aside
old homes as cultural heritage. I have
actually authored a book entitled Arab
Architecture about the subject, which
outlines the importance of architecture
in the Kingdom and how it should be
utilized in tourism.
What further strategies for progress
do you have?
One of my strategies is to keep in
par with what developed nations
are doing and how they are progressing.
I also focus on exhibiting art properly
and in a compelling way, for
example the jewelry exhibition is
closely linked to the Delmon era and
the Delmon seal.
Additionally, I’ve written books in
order to educate others about Delmon
Art, as well as selling many of my prints
and silverwork.
Where does Rashid Al Oraifi go
from here?
Scenarios for the future?
Rashid the artist seeks a successful
art piece that is in par with today
and deserves the modernization
of this society. My art is an expression of
my being, my soul and represents me in
all international exhibits and studios.
Health and Beauty

“Where I am
today was a result
of compounded
struggle that eventually
led to my ideas
being realised.”
94 Best of Bahrain
 Al-Oraifi Gallery

Gallery - +973 17 535 112

Museum - +973 17 335 616

Best of Bahrain 95
 Muharraqi Studios
Computer graphics (CG) and animation have become an
integral part in all things creative - films, advertisements,
cartoons and architecture.

Mr. Khalid Abdulla Al-Muharraqi, Founder &

Chief Creative, Muharraqi-Studios w.l.l

While the field may be at its
nascent stage in Bahrain, the
talent is definitely available
and growing. Meet Khalid Al
Muharraqi, the 38-year old
animator who left behind a career
in advertising and graphic design
to immerse himself in 3D art.
Son of Abdulla Al Muharraqi, a
renowned artist in the Middle East,
Khalid studied photography and
interior design at the Art Institute of
Houston. It was while working for
advertising agencies in the Middle
East that he grew disappointed
by the level of quality, ideas and
design that has been accepted
in the market. Recognising an
opportunity in 3D as the fine art of
the future, Khalid made the switch
as the best path for him.
Working from his studio at
home, Khalid constantly updates
the software and tests the
hardware to ensure that operations
run smooth. When things get
awry like system installation, new
hardware, his business partner
and a tech engineer pitch in to
help. One of the challenges is
always safe storage of data and
secure back up.
Despite these challenges, he
maintains his work as creatively
as possible. “We have always
resisted corporatising our set
up as I feel it would mean losing
our edge and would not allow us
to be flexible to try new things.
This way, we are not restricted
by having to carry massive
overheads, staff or infrastructure.”
Even though the Gulf market is
slowly waking up to the animation
industry, the assumption that
animation can be done in a jiffy
with a few clicks of a mouse, still
persists. Khalid finds it a regular

96 Best of Bahrain

task to dispel such notions among
his clients.
Future Trends
Yet Khalid finds vast improvement
in the quality of CG since he
started out. He foresees CG
diverging into two paths - the
hyper realistic animations and
images already started, as well as
the other highly stylised cartoons
or animations; work that makes
Image Title: The return of the Great Talon
you feel that this is not just 3D, but
is an art style.
Work Style
Khalid uses around five
applications that only work in 3D.
When asked why, he says, “There
is no such thing as a perfect
application, so I use the tools
that I need when I need them on
each application. So, just like a
traditional artist that would mix
his medium from oil, to chalk, to
pencil.... I do the same here with
different applications to get the
results that I want to achieve.”
Khalid has come a long
way since he began. Today,
his services are sharp, carried
out according to the client brief
which makes him proud of his
professionalism. And his work
has not gone unnoticed. “Those
that follow my steps range from
professional artists using 3D as
their main tools, to upcoming CG
artists and people who are just
starting out. As well as software
developers and those in the film
and gaming industry are in contact
with me regularly. I get hundreds
of emails, fan mail; requests to
work with me, for me or just to
watch me work and give them
guidance. I welcome that and do
my best to make a good
Best of Bahrain 97
 impression. I am always happy
to help.”

Drawing Awareness
One way of creating an
interest in CG and animation
is to spread the word, and
Muharraqi Studios has done
just that and has placed
Bahrain on the CG map
through its work. The website
also draws hundreds of people
logging in per month checking
for any updates, tutorials or
new projects on the go and
this helps people to gain
awareness of the latest tools.
Additionally, a boost arrives
by giving support to films and
3D visualization of The Pearl of Qatar
creative work produced in the
development as presented to the client
country.

98 Best of Bahrain

Focus
Khalid channels his efforts
towards creating projects that
are innovative. To do so, he
understands his client’s needs
and who the audience is. From
there, concepts, location,
storyline and presentation are all
worked out. Then there are the
technical aspects like developing
the 3D models, texturing them,
painting the maps or the ground,
lighting the environment as well
as recreating day light features.
Finally animation and rendering
to ensure the right quality is
obtained on the finished product.
Sustainability
With conservation and
sustainability evolving as
Image Title: Last Flight
Image Title: Oryx
3D visualization of Al Khamis Mosque
aired on Bahrain TV for Ramadan
2009 - Kingdom of Bahrain
key issues in the region and
elsewhere, Khalid and his team
are considerate about utilising
better performing processors
and CPUs to achieve maximum
performance, as well as leaving
the least impact. “Although it
is more expensive, it keeps
us at the forefront of the latest
Image Title: Burning Heart
developments in the industry.”
Inspiration
Nature, art and ancient Arabian
stories are inspiring to him. “I am
always looking for things that 3D using Other, modo, LightWave-3D, Photoshop, ZBrus
make me think and transport was exhibited at CG-Germany show in 2008
me to other worlds. I hope that
my work will have that effect
on people and make them Tel: +973 39 689 933
think and wonder about what is Email: khalid@muharraqi-studios.com
possible.” www.muharraqi-studios.com
Best of Bahrain 99
 KSDi - Khalifa Shaheen
Digital Images
Technology in film and
cinematography has grown by
leaps and bounds over the years.
And Khalifa Shaheen has been a
witness to all these changes ever
since he started out in this field
in the 1960s. The most dramatic
one has been the C41 processing
of film chemically to the digital
format that is currently used.
Today, he owns Khalifa
Shaheen Digital Images, a
company that has evolved
to take care of photography,
video production as well as an
image library. “Market demands
determine what images are
required and that depends on
who is asking. In the West,
traditional images are more
sought after. Whereas locally,
100 Best of Bahrain
more contemporary pictures
are required”, says Khalifa who
considers delivering excellence
and creativity for his clients, a
constant responsibility. “Creativity
is an inexact process. I have
always strived to come up with
original ideas and that process,
I am not sure I can explain.
Sometimes I’ll be in the shower
or driving or walking my retriever
and an idea springs fully formed
into my mind. Other times, original
ideas are more illusive. Our
standards are high and I intend
that they remain so. This attitude
doesn’t always win me friends
but it does mean that our work is
faultless.”
And such work requires talent
that the region is capable of

producing. “We use local talent
as much as possible. International
professionals have their place
as well, but for local sensitivity, a
Bahraini wins every time.”
Also, KSDI offers film/tape
conversion to DVD. There just
aren’t many 8mm projectors
or tape decks around anymore
rendering old home movies
useless. “When we transfer the
footage we also have the ability to
colour correct and fix the footage
to a much better state than the
original. Film/video are a dated
media that will eventually become
brittle and break. We do this
service to preserve your precious
memories for a lifetime,” says
Khalifa.
With plans to expand further,
KSDI runs a 10-week training
course called “Screen Actors
Training program” to spur
creativity with the community
and to prepare for the media
projects that will soon be heading
its’ way. With the finance and
creative talent available regionally,
all that remains is distributorship.
With the market in Bahrain and
the UAE taking a mature turn,
KSDI plans to extend beyond
Bahrain to elsewhere in the Gulf.
Simultaneously, this has not
slowed its growth in the country.
“This year, we have added
animation and digitization to our
list of production services,” says
Khalifa.
The current global volatility
has led KSDI to tighten its margin
HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
and offer greater value across the
board. With consumer confidence
at an all time low, KSDI offers
media solutions to all manner of
business, with the intention of
heightening that business’s profile
and visibility, in a market obscured
by the mist of the credit crisis.
Further, KSDI uses Facebook to
promote its ancillary entertainment
services and maintain direct
interaction with its clientele. It has a
screen actor training page that has
over 200 members. There is also
a live comedy competition, ‘The
Funniest Person in Bahrain’ that
has over 300 Facebook members
and growing.
Tel: +973 17 593 993
www. ksdibahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 101
 Bahrain House
Arts & Culture

of Photography
More than 60 years behind a camera has done
nothing to rob Mr. Abdulla Al Khan of his passion.

Al Khan (or “Abdulla Mohammed Al Khan” as he liked to be called) has one of the richest photographic archives dating back from the 30’s up until this current day. His
photographs document many of Bahrain’s social, historical and traditional contexts and events and trace Bahrain’s many important milestones and significant roles
in the Bahraini society. Not only do his photographs act as documentation, but they also act as important memorabilia for the Bahraini people and remind our current
society of what Bahrain once was.

Abdulla Al Khan of Bahrain
House of Photography has been
photographing the country since
1945. He now has an archive of
more than 1,500,000 photographs
which are under the process of
being transferred to a massive
collection of digital imagery. The
Bahrain House of Photography,
where all the negatives are stored
is now in the process of being
transformed into a photographic
museum to honor the royal family
Abdulla Al Khan
of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Al Khan started out his career
at Bapco where he got a job
photographing mechanical
problems, site developments
and public relations events,
however this did not deter his
passion for capturing Bahrain’s
richest cultural assets. Al Khan’s
studio walls are adorned with
pictures of Bahrain’s past from
pearl divers to dhow captains.
He is credited for introducing
wedding photography to the
Kingdom of Bahrain, an idea
he brought back with him from
his studies in photography at
Ealing Technical College. As a
result, Al Khan soon established
himself in the Kingdom as the
official photographer for many
of the key events in the lives of
Bahrain’s royal family members,
photographing everything
from weddings to birthdays. Al
Khan also developed a special
relationship with the late Amir
HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al
Khalifa, who once described

102 Best of Bahrain


Al Khan as “My eyes in the
Kingdom”. In fact Al Khan acted
as an eye witness to the realities
of the nation, he recalls, “I went
around taking photographs of
Bahrain as it really was to show
Shaikh Isa”.
Commercially Mr Al Khan
continued to work with the Ministry
of Housing and Works for over
30 years, documenting the new
developments of the kingdom
from helicopters. Al Khan says
comically, “I have probably had
more flight time than any pilot
in Bahrain”. His archives from
sky view chronicle in detail the
changes in the country’s landscape
such as views of Isa Town as a
desert to the new developments at
Durrat Al Bahrain. The richness of
his archives document, amongst
others, the first cables being laid
for Isa Town. His most recent
projects include monitoring
developments of Durrat Al Bahrain
and the Bahrain Financial Harbour
(BFH).
Today Al Khan’s most
daunting task continues to be the
digitalization of his vast collection
at Bahrain House of Photography.
He is the only person with the
knowledge of the stories behind
each picture, so the work has to
be done himself. Whereby other
countries reserve Government
spending to archive all of their
history, Al Khan is doing this on
his own expenses. He determines
that, “it is vital to remind the
younger generation of what we
were and where we came from, to
record history for them”. His only
Abdulla Al Khan spent 30 years photographing the Kingdom's new developments
from a helicopter - Diplomatic arial view shown here from 1976 to 1992 and 2008,
shown here respectively
hope is that he is still around to
complete all the work. In five years
only one third of his archives have
been documented digitally.
Al Khan goes on to discuss
the advent of digital photography
likening it to fast food in
comparison to the manual art
that took more time but provided
the same sensations as quality
dining. He believes that although
fast food exists that there is still a
need for fine dining. His passion
for photography is resounding, as
he understands deeply the value
of his work. He views each of his
pieces as his children and says
of his work, “You would not say I
prefer this son because he is rich
or this daughter because she is
beautiful, they are all your creations
and they are equally valuable” and
“So I do not have any photographs
which are my favorites. Though
I am proud of the photos I have
taken of the royal family.”
Books by Al Khan:
1. Bahrain Old Houses
2. Muharraq The Sea Rose
3. Democracy of 1973
Al Khan also had several
exhibitions in the Kingdom of
Bahrain and abroad and now has
his own permanent exhibition at
Bahrain House of Photography.
For further information please
visit www.bahrainhouse.com
Best of Bahrain 103
 Ali Sharaf Photography
Ali Sharaf is taking the photography industry in the
Kingdom of Bahrain by storm, presenting a new digitally
enhanced final output that is grabbing lots of attention.

Focusing on both Editorial and
Commercial industries, Ali Sharaf
works with magazines and
advertising agencies that require
high quality images.
Recently Ali Sharaf outdid
himself again with stunning
imagery for the launch marketing
campaign of Viva, the Kingdom’s
most recent telecommunications
provider. Suffice to say, his work
speaks to the general public as
he himself is a Bahraini, born and
raised who understands what is
required to grab attention and give
his fellow citizens something new
to aspire to. Sharaf says of his
work, “people are often surprised
that the images I create are the
work of a Bahraini. Many other
people believe that my work,
along with the work of some other
Bahraini photographers, is already
at global standards. This is of
course flattering but at the same
time drives us to continuously build
upon our skills to remain at that
global level”. Ali Sharaf goes on
to add that his work showcases
a range of aspects however one
that he wishes to highlight is that
the Kingdom of Bahrain has lots
of talent within its indigenous
population. He notes himself as
being fortunate enough to work
closely with a highly skilled team
of Bahrainis, ranging from my
special friend ‘Fahad Al Dossari’
Director of Esthetics to stylists,
who he believes to be as equally
talented as those in their fields
internationally.
Ali Sharaf presents himself with
a mature outlook for his preferred
field in art, fashion and beauty
photography. As a graduate from
Manchester & London Workshops
and seminars in the UK, he has
taken his profession back to his
homeland, where when asked
about the comparison of freedom
to express in the Kingdom, Sharaf
answers that although Bahrain is a
more conservative culture he has
not felt himself to be excessively
limited in how he presents his
work. He stoically acknowledges
that, “the concept of beauty is one
that differs from one region to the
next so I actually consider myself

104 Best of Bahrain

fortunate to be able to address
the challenges that come along
with producing images that can be
regarded as pleasing and beautiful
to a varied audience be they
conservative or otherwise”.
Taking full advantage of the
digital revolution and armed with
his knowledge and skills in digital
enhancement that he acquired
from his former career in graphic
design, when describing his
work, Ali Sharaf mentions that,
“we now live in the digital age
whereby the process of editing a

Best of Bahrain 105

106 Best of Bahrain
photo once it has been captured
is commonplace amongst
professional photographers and
has actually developed into a
high level of expertise in some
respects. I cannot speak for other
photographers but in my case, I
use the post-production process
to reinforce what I had envisioned
for the image, identify things that
were out of my control during the
shoot, and move the image in the
direction that it needs to go to”. In
Sharaf’s opinion, retouching should
be realistic in order to enhance
the natural beauty of his subjects
rather than radically altering them.
To Sharaf there are many
aspects of his work that he
enjoys from the planning stages
of a project all the way through to
the post production phase and
handover. Sharaf takes pleasure in
addressing the unique challenges
that come with every new project
and feels lucky to have the support
and creative input of a great team.
“I was fortunate enough to learn
from world class photographers
over the course of my studies and
at the same time it opened my
eyes to the level of professionalism
that exists in the field of
photography outside our region.
Photography as a profession and
industry in Bahrain, and within
the region, is still a relatively new
concept on many levels. By
way of a simple example, I am
often approached to produce an
advertising campaign for certain
publications within a timeline of
one week and within a limited
budget; this is something that is far
less common in Europe or the US
where the photography industry
is at a maturity level higher than
our own and photographers are
given months to put together an
advertising concept for renowned
publications and are working
with sizeable budgets. This is
something I anticipate will change
as the industry evolves here”.
On reflecting on the overall
photography industry in the to a level that is consistently meaningful and relevant talent to maker of an international standard
Kingdom of Bahrain, Sharaf at level with global standards, the industry overall. The world is has been very rewarding as has
declares that, “there are few that together our work will open a much smaller place now than the opportunity to work with some
Bahraini photographers that are doors for other Bahrainis to follow what it was 10 or 20 years ago well known global brands. I have
able to pursue their passion as their dreams and become even so I look forward to the prospect my sights set on higher goals
a full time career since this can more successful as professional of sharing our unique vision, beyond the region as the fashion
be financially challenging as the photographers. In terms of and collaborating with a wider industry is one that plays out on a
industry currently stands. I hope what I wish to give back to the audience”. global stage”.
that as my work and that of international market, my hope is When asked about the pinnacle
my fellow professional Bahraini that we as Bahraini photographers of his success, Ali Sharaf explains info@alisharaf.com
photographers continues to evolve are able to be recognized as a that, “being regarded as an image- www.alisharaf.com

Best of Bahrain 107

Chapter 5
Health, Beauty and Wellness

108 Best of Bahrain

“We want to be recognized by our clients
as the Best Resort in the World”.
Mr. Zee Bassila, Director, Sales & Marketing
Banyan Tree Spa, Kingdom of Bahrain

Best of Bahrain 109

 The Beauty Beat
Arab women have the world’s healthiest and youngest looking skin,
reveals a research by Swiss-based Clinique la Praire.

Various genetic and
environmental factors contribute
to this ranking, which is
reinforced by the range of
traditional beauty regimens that
Arab women have embraced for
centuries, and which have now
grown in popularity worldwide.
Bahrain is no different with a
history of using herbal plants in
traditional medicine.
It is well-known that the skin
is reflective of the health of an
individual. A flawless and glowing
complexion is sure indication of
wellness, which certainly adds
to the beauty of a person. The
Kingdom of Bahrain has a rich
history of using indigenous plants
as medicine. About 20 indigenous
species have been known to
be used in the herbal remedies
for numerous afflictions. These
remedies that appear simple
include boiling, infusions, extraction
of milled dry or fresh leaves,
flowers, seeds or whole plants.
Also, certain plant parts were either
consumed raw or cooked. Besides
traditional medicine, beauty
treatments were also used to
maintain good health. Some of the
beauty treatments followed in the
country are outlined here....
Hands on
The art of henna painting has
been practised for at least 5,000
years in the Middle East and
Indian subcontinent. Henna is
made from henna tree leaves,
which are collected and ground
up into a paste by mixing with
hot water and then allowed to
ferment. The design process is
done using a small cone that has
a hole from which henna comes
out when pressure is applied.
Henna, which lasts about 12 days,
traditionally adorns the hands
and feet of women during special
occasions such as engagements,
weddings and Eid. Designs vary in
different regions with each baring
a particular design according to
cultural tastes; for example unlike

110 Best of Bahrain

 Image by: Haifa Hassan - haifa.yaseen@gmail.com
Image by: Ezzat Alzurba ezzat.alzurba@gmail.com

the Indian designs which are very with small dots drawn on the palm odour, blisters and minor cuts.
intetricate, the Bahraini Henna style of the hand. Flowers or stars are When mixed with vinegar and
uses a lot of white spaces and also used in this design. With a applied to the head, henna is
Image by: Haifa Hassan - haifa.yaseen@gmail.com

larger designs, usually of flowers thicker consistency, henna is also thought to alleviate headaches.
and leaves or oriental geometric used to dye hair. The red-coloured
shapes. henna is normally preferred and is A sweet body
There are many types of applied for several hours to attain Halawa or sugaring is a traditional
traditional henna designs, now only the desired look and lustre. Henna Arabic hair removal technique.
popular with the older generations, is also noted for its medicinal Used by the Ancient Egyptians,
including Al Ghammsa, which is properties. It is an antiseptic for halawa, which translates as
hand painting up to the elbow. The soothing burns, eczema and ‘sweet’, is an all-natural mixture of
Al Jutti style involves tinting two providing relief from bruises and sugar, water and lemon juice. It is
joints of each finger, while the Bittat arthritic pain. Henna is also used also water-soluble and non-toxic,
style is formed of four triangles to treat athlete’s foot, corns, foot which makes it mild on the skin,

Best of Bahrain 111

Health and Beauty

112 Best of Bahrain

 Image by: Haifa Hassan - haifa.yaseen@gmail.com
as well as environmentally friendly.
The mixture is heated to the edge
of crystallisation and formed into
a soft ball, flattened onto the skin,
then quickly striped away. The hair
is removed at the root.
The lukewarm halawa only
sticks to the hair and not the skin,
so unlike other waxing methods,
it does not irritate the skin and is
safe to apply to all skin types. It is
a gentler means of hair removal,
especially on sensitive areas
of the body and gives smooth,
silky results that last four to six
weeks; much longer than shaving
or depilatory creams. Sugaring
diminishes hair growth rapidly and
the more frequently it is done the
finer the hair tends to grow back.
Get steamy
The hammam or Turkish bath
is closely related to the Ancient
Roman’s bathing practices. It was
developed in the Middle East as
a means of cleansing the body
as well as a place for socialising
where conversation and gossip
was exchanged. This centuries old
steam bath is seeing resurgence in
popularity amongst locals as well
as tourists.
Hammams have thick stone
walls and domed roofs. Once
inside, bathers relax in a hot,
humid marble chamber or room
and allow the moisture to soften
and penetrate their skin. This
room is known as the warm room
and allows the bather to perspire
freely. You may then move to an
even hotter room known as the
hot room. An attendant wearing a
traditional chequered sheet, called
a pestemal, then scrubs the body
vigorously with an abrasive cloth,
removing dead skin and leaving
the layer beneath so smooth it
gleams. This removes toxins from
the body and relieves muscular
aches.
An invigorating dousing with
water follows, and bathers are
left to stretch out on the hot
marble stone at the centre of the
chamber, heated from beneath
by air circulating from a wood-
burning furnace. After performing Fontaine Spa uses the concept
a full body wash and receiving a of balancing all the forces of the
massage, bathers finally retire to human body, namely the mental,
the cooling-room for a period of physical, emotional and spiritual
relaxation. – by using natural treatments for
the face. With such a huge variety
Spas in the Kingdom of of beauty treatments available, it
Bahrain is all the more reason to visit the
There is no dearth of spas offering Kingdom of Bahrain and leave with
top class rejuvenation treatments a relaxed smile.
in the Kingdom. Beauty treatments
from other countries including
Thailand, India and Morocco are
also offered at the various spas,
here. Infact the biggest and most
extensive spa in the Middle East,
Banyan Tree Spa Al Areen is in
the Kingdom of Bahrain. Offering
an extensive range of treatments
including private steam rooms,
ice igloo, pelotherapy chamber,
sanarium, affusion showers
and brine cavern, the spa is a
must-visit for a spa aficionado.
Another spa worth visiting is at
the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel &
Spa that has a Hammam with a
steam room and four pools along
with two massage rooms. The La
Best of Bahrain 113
 Banyan Tree Spa Al Areen
The Banyan Tree Spa has developed and branched out
into the Best Spa Resort in the world today.

114 Best of Bahrain

Now, the challenge lies in
maintaining this image. The
10,000 square metre Spa in
Bahrain took 3 years to build
into what it is today. Over 35
staff members who come from
the different spas of Banyan
Tree work at this facility. They
have all been well-trained at
either one of the three Banyan
Tree Spa training academies
located in different countries
in Asia, where each therapist
studies 300 hours before she
starts handling any guest. This
allows her to be familiar with
the physiology, anatomy of the
human body and standard spa
services.
Spa treatments include
several signature ones. But the
treatment that is most popular
with the guests is the Royal know-how, after all Banyan Tree
Banyan Package. first took root as a spa before
Celebrities, too, frequent the turning into a resort chain.
spa that places privacy as a top
priority.
Little wonder then, that
Banyan Tree Spa has been
voted as the “Best Spa Resort
in the world”. The inspiration
comes from the Banyan Tree Tel: +973 17 845 000
Hotels & Resorts culture and www.banyantreespa.com
Best of Bahrain 115
Chapter 6
Training, Education & CSR

116 Best of Bahrain

“It is through the continued support of HRH Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa
and the support of our endowment fund sponsors that the CPISP has grown into
one of the most successful scholarship programs in the region.”

Dr. Ronald Koller, CPISP Director

Best of Bahrain 117

 Training, Education & CSR
Education paves a path to help one achieve goals and realise
dreams. In acknowledgement of this fact, the Kingdom of
Bahrain has made provisions for education in Vision 2030.

HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa,

Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Royal
Charity Organization - Kingdom of Bahrain 

118 Best of Bahrain

The Kingdom has always displayed
its keenness to encourage the
employment of its citizens in
various capacities, especially
in the public sector. And the
private sector too, with its share
of vast opportunities beckons
the Bahrainis. However, to be
able to compete for such jobs,
certain skills like excellent English
communication are required. Such
demands call for sustained training.
Vision 2030 calls for developing
an education system that will
empower every citizen with
suitable educational qualifications
to meet his or her occupational
requirements. This calls for raising
the standards and performance of
schools, vocational institutions and
universities. In order to achieve that,
properly-trained teachers must be
available. By way of improving their
recruitment and training, enhancing
the managing of their performance,
improving their image in society
and increasing the attractiveness of
careers in teaching, the standard
of education could be raised a
notch higher. Other strategies
include providing quality training in
world-class applied and advanced
skills to meet new challenges and
requirements. And regular review
the quality of performance of the
educational institutions to check
if they are at par with world-class
standards. Also, research and
development will be encouraged
to create the platform for a
knowledge-based economy.
Another initiative of the
Government to create channels
of opportunities for Bahrainis
is Tamkeen. Meaning ‘Labour
Fund’, the initiative is a powerful
agent for change and has
several successful initiatives to
showcase its efforts. Through
economic reform, training reform
and attitudinal change, to a
lesser level, Tamkeen organises
and executes its initiatives that
are bound into the Labour
Market Reforms. The main
goal is to position the locals
as top choices for jobs in the
private sector that is achieved
through funds from the fees for
expatriate work permits. These
funds pay for training and study
and to subsidise salary increase
incentives for Bahrainis. Tamkeen
not only has the freedom when it
comes to setting its own agenda,
it provides freedom to those
enrolled Bahrainis to be employed
not just in the Kingdom of
Bahrain, but elsewhere globally.
Corporate Social Responsibility
is taken as an essential
responsibility in the country. As
such, Islam calls for the individual
to give a portion of his income
to the society. However, charity
involves not only sharing money
but time too. The Migrant Workers
Protection Society (MWPS) is
one organisation that supports
the rights of migrant workers and
seeks to resolve their suffering. The
members volunteer their efforts to
work collectively to eradicate abuse
of low-income workers and launch
initiatives to uplift their rights.
MWPS has come a long way
and tastes success when it comes
to combating human rights issues
faced by low-income workers. For
it is them who have helped build
what stands today as the Kingdom
of Bahrain.
Best of Bahrain 119
 The Crown Prince’s Internation-
al Scholarship Program (CPISP)

HRH the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, addresses the audience at the 2009 CPISP Graduate
Recognition Ceremony at the Court of the Crown Prince.

When and why was the Crown Prince’s
International Scholarship Programme
established?
The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship
Program (CPISP) was established in 1999 by
HRH the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme
Commander, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al
Khalifa, with the aim of providing the opportunity
to Bahrain’s brightest, most talented and
outstanding youth to study at top international
universities and colleges.
His Royal Highness’ vision is to develop young
Bahrainis from all walks of life so that they can
achieve their dreams and aspirations, and attain
key positions that will contribute to Bahrain’s
development, through serving in the public or
private sectors or through the international arena.
In terms of specific milestones and
achievements, how has the scholarship
programme evolved since its inception?
As of 2009, The Program has awarded
a total of 96 scholarships to outstanding
Bahraini secondary school students. Ten
fully funded under-graduate scholarships are
awarded on an annual basis to 5 young men
and 5 young women from both private and
governmental secondary schools, providing
them the opportunity to study at top international
universities and colleges.
The first group of scholarship recipients
included 6 students from the Ministry of
Education schools. However, in 2001, HRH
the Crown Prince decided to increase the total
number of annual scholarships to 10, and include
four scholarships for students from private
schools.
Scholarship recipients are free to choose
their own majors and universities that they
gain acceptance from. The Program requires
its scholars to attend international universities
abroad, so that they receive cultural exposure and
gain the most out of their academic experience.
Government school students are required to
undergo two years of either prep or boarding
school, where they attain a high school post
graduate diploma or A Levels, before applying
to University.  This gives them the opportunity
to improve their English language and research
writing skills; the results have proven to be
outstanding when it comes to obtaining a seat in
prestigious universities.
The Program works hard to create a family
atmosphere among students, parents and
staff, arranging for various activities and social
functions throughout the year.  HRH the Crown
Prince meets students in small informal groups
twice a year upon their return to Bahrain during
their summer and winter breaks to personally
ask about their progress and development.
CPISP officials also make trips during the year
to the US and UK to check on students and visit
schools and universities to build and maintain
ties, and seek scholarship opportunities for future
candidates and recipients.
The Program encourages students to actively
participate in academic field trips, summer
projects and other initiatives which enrich their
learning experience and develop personal growth.
CPISP students have proudly represented
Bahrain by undertaking field trips and summer
projects around the world including Borneo,
France, South Africa, Syria and Tasmania.
Students are also required to partake in summer
internships so that they can gain work experience
and prepare for their future career plans.
In 2004, the Program’s first group of scholars
graduated from university with Bachelors’
degrees and either began employment or
continued with their post-graduate degrees,
funded by HRH the Crown Prince. The Program
places no restrictions on students on where they
work upon graduation. In fact, HRH encourages
graduates to obtain a job in the global arena and
gain international work experience and exposure
before returning to Bahrain.
In 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

120 Best of Bahrain

recognized HRH the Crown Prince for his efforts
in setting up the CPISP and his commitment to
fund the program with $32 million over the next
10 years.  first semester of grade 11, as well as Bahraini
In 2006, HRH launched the CPISP Endowment
Fund, opening the door for sponsors to
contribute to the Program’s continued operation
and development through financial support. A
Board of Directors was established, chaired by
HRH the Crown Prince, and six of the thirteen
seats on the Board have been reserved for
sponsors. The Fund also enabled the CPISP
to provide its scholars with the opportunity to
pursue post-graduate degrees and take part in
specialized educational enrichment programs.
The CPISP Action Learning Program was
launched as a result, and has allowed CPISP
students to develop their leadership and team
working abilities, as well as learn from hands-on
experience in a work environment by working on
a real business challenge with top companies.
In 2009, the CPISP added a leadership,
critical thinking, and communication segment
to its final selection criteria, organizing a 4 week
training workshop for candidates vying for the
Crown Prince’s annual scholarships. Students
took part in activities and exercises aimed at
developing their leadership, critical thinking,
and communication skills; and interacted with
mentors from various organizations who also
received training on how to assess the students.
The CPISP Alumni Association was also
launched, and includes 46 CPISP graduates who
are either employed, pursuing post-graduate
degrees, or taking part in specialized projects.
The Alumni Association works to create a
lasting connection between the CPISP and its
graduates. It’s objectives and duties not only
include organizing reunions and activities for
graduates, but will also involve assisting the
Program in developing beneficial programs and
projects for current students.
As the CPISP celebrates its ten year
anniversary, it recognizes that it is the Bahraini
students themselves who can take credit for
the Program’s success. As a result of their hard
work, outstanding academic performance, and
numerous personal achievements, the CPISP
has earned itself a high reputation among
the educational institutions and international
organizations that it deals with.
What strategic approach to education
do you adopt? Does your scholarship
programme focus on delivering assistance
to schools in certain geographic areas of
Bahrain? What is your selection rationale?
CPISP has developed its own specialized
process to shortlist scholarship candidates and
select the final recipients. First, CPISP staff brief
11th grade students with high GPAs about the
Program and its application criteria through
presentations and school visits. Students then
submit their applications to the Scholarship
Office and sit for a Qualifying English Language
Test administered by the CPISP. To qualify as
a CPISP applicant, students must be enrolled
in the 11th grade and have a 97 per cent or
higher cumulative GPA for grade 10 and the
citizenship. The top 60 students are then
shortlisted based on their GPAs and English Test
scores. These candidates are then given the
opportunity to benefit from various educational
workshops administered by the Program over
the summer and throughout their final academic
year of secondary school.
Candidates are offered a series of courses,
workshops and seminars commencing in March
and concluding in December. The candidates
begin with a course that prepares them to take
the IELTS and SAT. The CPISP registers the
candidates for the IELTS and SAT and organizes
the administration of these assessments. During
the summer candidates take part in a specialized
training program, which aims to develop their
leadership, communication, and critical thinking
skills.
From September until December a variety
of seminars relating to applying to university,
selecting a career and exploring other options
for financing university education are available to
the candidates. A local college fair is held at the
conclusion of these seminars.
The final ten scholarship recipients are selected
based on their GPA, scores on the SAT and
IELTS, and a score from the summer training
program. The selection process, including all
student scores and grades, is reviewed by an
independent auditing firm to ensure accuracy
and transparency.
What are some of the international
universities that students have attended?
Do you provide funding for post-graduate
education through master’s and doctoral
programmes?
The CPISP currently provides both under-
graduate and post-graduate funding for its
scholars, who are selected at the secondary
school level. CPISP scholars have gained
acceptance into some of the most distinguished
international universities in the US, UK, and
France. They include:
US Universities:
• Boston College
• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University
• Drake University
• Emory University
• Georgetown University
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Lake Forest College
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Michigan State University
• New York University
• Princeton University
• Purdue University
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• Tufts University
• University of Chicago
• University of Hartford
• University of Michigan
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Southern California
• Yale University
UK Universities:
• Architectural Association
• University of Birmingham
• University of Durham
• Imperial College London
• King’s College London
• London School of Economics and Political
Science
• Loughborough University
• University of Manchester
• Oxford University
• School of Oriental and African Studies
• University College London
• University of Bristol
• University of Cambridge
• University of Nottingham
• University of Warwick
French Universities:
• Paris Graduate School of Management
• Sciences Po
How is your programme funded? And how
do you determine funding priorities?
The Program was initially funded solely by HRH
the Crown Prince when it was established in
1999.  In 2006 the Program’s endowment fund
was launched, which has since attracted a total
of 27 sponsors who have pledged, in addition
to HRH’s continued annual contribution of BD
1.5 million to the Program, a combined total
of BD 18 million over the next 5 years.  The
Program currently operates on a yearly budget
of about BD 1.8 million, and is supporting 48
students pursuing their Bachelor’s degrees,
5 pursuing Master’s degrees, and 5 pursuing
their doctorates. The annual financial support
provided by HRH the Crown Prince and
sponsors goes into the CPISP’s yearly
operational budget and into investments that
will generate funding for the Program’s future
operations.
The Program’s funding priorities include
all student related expenses, followed
by promotion of the Program to attract
sponsorship and support of its endowment
fund. The CPISP covers the costs of
students’ tuition fees, accommodation, and
health insurance. Students are given a yearly
allowance which differs according to their
location of study, and are also provided with
round trip airline tickets from Bahrain to their
school or university at least once a year during
their holiday breaks. Upon their graduation from
university, the Program provides two air tickets
to the parents or guardians of each student
to attend their university commencement
Best of Bahrain 121
Health and Beauty
Georgetown University, USA
Columbia University, USA
Princeton University, USA
ceremonies. The CPISP also provides its
recipients with the opportunity to take part in
additional education enrichment programs in
cooperation with other organizations, such as
its in-house Action Learning Program and the
Academy of Achievement’s International Summit.
The CPISP also funds various programs for
eligible candidates applying for scholarships, as
well as its scholars. As mentioned before, the
CPISP provides its qualifying candidates with
SAT and IELTS training workshops, a specialized
leadership, critical thinking, and communication
development program, and the opportunity to
122 Best of Bahrain
explore career and university options through
seminars and a college fair.
Is CPISP in partnership with other
government or non-government
scholarship initiatives? Do you work in
tandem with them?
The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship
Program operates as a separate entity that
provides scholarships to select outstanding
Bahraini secondary school students, from both
private and governmental secondary schools,
on an annual basis. Qualifying students must
apply directly for the Crown Prince’s scholarships
the year prior to their actual secondary
school graduation. Application forms can be
downloaded from the CPISP website (www.
cpisp.bh) and submitted to the Scholarship
Offices, which are currently located at the Court
of the Crown Prince.
To brief outstanding students about the
Program’s application process, the CPISP works
with the Ministry of Education and individual
private secondary schools to organize and set
up presentations and school visits. The Program
also works with various business organizations
to provide scholarship candidates and recipients
with internships and career-related information.
Local organizations take part in the training
programs organized by the CPISP, offering
candidates and recipients their guidance and
expertise as mentors and colleagues. A local
college fair is also organized by the CPISP for its
candidates, which provides students with other
educational options in the region.
Applicants and candidates who do not earn
the Crown Prince’s scholarship are able to
earn other scholarship opportunities from other
organizations. Various government and semi-
government organizations and ministries have
approached CPISP candidates with scholarship
opportunities as well.
How do you help raise awareness about
the importance of education and what
additional measures do you think could be
taken to spread the word?
HRH the Crown Prince’s vision regarding the
Kingdom’s future recognizes the crucial role
of education, training, and youth and human
development. With the establishment of the
endowment fund, the Program has taken
measures to approach outside organizations
from the private sector and business community
to support HRH in achieving the Program’s
objectives.
The CPISP strives to promote its objectives on
a local community level, as well as internationally.
Through its private school visits and government
school presentations, the CPISP calls on
outstanding students to take advantage of the
educational opportunities available to them, and
to benefit from international cultural exposure.
The CPISP also utilizes the local media and its
own in-house Spotlight magazine, to showcase
its message and highlight the achievements
of its scholars. The success and personal
accomplishments of CPISP scholars and alumni
are a testament to the outcomes of a solid
education.
Internationally, the CPISP has proven to be one
of the most productive scholarship programs in
the region. Program officials continuously work
to maintain ties with international universities and
educational institutions; and due to the students
supported by the Program, the CPISP has earned
a reputable standing with top universities and
education-related organizations.
How do you envision the Bahraini public and
private sectors benefiting from graduates
who are recipients of your scholarships? Is
‘brain drain’ an issue?
Recipients of the Crown Prince’s scholarships
have proven to excel in their academic
environments, extracurricular activities, and in the
workplace. During their internship and work-
related experiences, scholars have received high
recommendations from senior officials in praise of
their performance and quality work.
The CPISP aspires to see its scholars attain a
substantial education, gain international cultural
exposure, and secure employment opportunities
that will allow them to demonstrate their full
potential and productivity. By attaining key
decision-making roles in the private or public
sectors, CPISP scholars will contribute to Bahrain’s
development and future both nationally and
globally.
Although the CPISP places no restrictions
on where students work after graduation,
students are encouraged to gain international
work experience and exposure before returning
to Bahrain. Many students choose to return to
Bahrain upon their graduation to support the
growth of their country directly. Due to the quality
performance demonstrated by their predecessors,
CPISP scholars are sought by major companies
and organizations in Bahrain with promising job
offers.
Out of all the valuable work and scholarships
you have provided, is there a particular
high-achieving student that stands out
in your mind? Do tailor-made leadership
programmes help foster exceptional talent?
CPISP takes great pride in the academic
excellence and achievements of its scholars.
To apply for the Program, students must have
a 97 per cent GPA at the secondary school
level. Most CPISP scholars continue to excel
academically, reaching honor rolls and deans’
lists of their chosen schools and universities;
many graduate with honors and distinctions.
Scholars also become active members of
their student communities, pursuing various
extracurricular activities including sports, and
teaching. Professionally, CPISP scholars receive
high appraisals from executives for their exemplary
performance in the working environment. The
following are a few examples of some of the
CPISP’s distinguished scholars.
• Khalid Adnan Fakhro received the Crown
Prince’s scholarship in 2001, going on to
pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Biological
Sciences with specialization in Cellular Biology
and Molecular Genetics at the University of
Chicago, USA. Upon his graduation with
Honors in 2005, Khalid received a scholarship
from Yale University to pursue a PhD in Human
Genetics. From 2006 to 2008, Khalid was
accepted into the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute Medical Research Scholars Program
(HHMI MRSP) at Yale University, designed
to encourage rigorous training in science to
solve medical/clinical challenges. Khalid’s
experience as a lab member of the Human
Genetics Department at Yale University
has included acquiring and implementing a
variety of techniques such as high-throughput
screening, fluorescence microscopy, cell
culture, PCR genotyping, microarray SNP chip
analysis and biochemical assays.
• Marwa Khaled Al Sabbagh earned the Crown
Prince’s scholarship in 2001, after which she
was placed into Oundle Boarding School, UK
to complete her A-Levels. While pursuing her
Bachelor’s degree in Biology at Nottingham
College, UK Marwa was awarded the Duke of
Edinburgh Gold Award and the British Council
International Silver Award “Shine”. Marwa was
also awarded the Nuffield Foundation Science
Bursary for Undergraduate Research to work
in the Institute of Genetics at the University
of Nottingham in the summer of 2005, going
on to graduate with first class honors from
Nottingham. Marwa then went on to complete
her Master’s degree in Biological Research
from Imperial College London with distinction,
and received the Overseas Research Student
(ORS) scholarship from Imperial College
London to pursue a PhD in Reproductive
Biology: Uterine Biology.
• Lubna Al Tajir received the Crown Prince’s
scholarship in 2001, after which she went on
to graduate from the University of Bristol, UK
with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication
Engineering. She was awarded the Toshiba
Prize for the most innovative final year
research project, entitled “Finite Difference
Time Domain (FDTD) modeling of Photonic
Crystal Devices.” The project focused on
how to find the optimum characteristics for
photonic crystals which can be highly efficient
in electronic communications. After graduation
Lubna started teaching Mathematics at
Norwood School as part of Teach First, a
charity recruiting outstanding graduates to
teach at challenged UK secondary schools.
In 2006 Lubna won first place in the Teach
First school projects ideas competition. She
proposed “The Apprentice Club” (based on
“The Apprentice” TV program but modified
for school environments). She later secured
funding from the charity UnLtd to set-up and
run the project. In 2007 she was graded as
Recipients of the Crown Prince’s 2009 scholarships.
an ‘Outstanding’ teacher by the Office of
Standards in Education. Lubna then joined
Deloitte Consulting, London and in 2009
received an ‘Outstanding Contribution Award’.
• Fatema Ghazi Al-Arayedh received the Crown
Prince’s scholarship in 2002, going on to
pursue a high-school post graduate diploma
from Choate Rosemary Hall, USA. Fatema
then gained acceptance into Yale University,
where she obtained a Bachelor’s degree in
Political Science. During her undergraduate
years at Yale, Fatema was a very active
member of the student body, taking part
in various student associations, including
the Halal Food Committee and the Muslim
Students Association; and launched a Yale
Chapter of Operation Smile, which works to
provide plastic surgery for children with cleft
lips and tumors. She also helped co-found
the Arab Students Association at Yale, serving
as a board member and vice-president.
Upon her graduation from University, Fatema
returned to Bahrain and began employment
at the Economic Development Board, where
she worked in cooperation with the Ministry
of Justice on the national economic reform
initiative Vision:2030 for the Kingdom of
Bahrain. Fatema is currently pursuing her
judicial doctorate at Columbia University Law
School, USA.
• Ahmed Yusuf Abdulla received the Crown
Prince’s Scholarship in 2005, going on
to graduate from Princeton University in
2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical
Engineering – focus on Entrepreneurship
and Management. Upon graduation, Ahmed
joined the Princeton in Africa Fellowship
Program, where he will be spending a
year in Burkina Faso developing a Carbon
Assessment Strategy for International
Institute for Water and Environmental
Engineering (2iE). Ahmed has been involved
in various projects, studies and papers.
He co-authored a paper on how the
confluence of a nation’s vulnerability and its
risk of climate change can predict whether
or not it will experience civil violence. As a
result Ahmed was invited to lead a panel
discussion on the effects of climate change
on civil violence in Africa at the American
Geophysical Union’s Joint Assembly in
Toronto in May 2009. Ahmed has also co-
authored a proposal for the production of
liquid hydrocarbon fuels using non-fossil fuel
sources, and is a freelance 3D-modeler and
an amateur astronomer. Ahmed is a member
of the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers (ASME), American Institute of
Chemical Engineers (AIChE), and Society of
Automotive Engineers (SAE).
What plans and projects does CPISP have
for the future?
With the continued support of HRH Prince
Salman, the CPISP hopes to draw in continued
sponsorship from organizations dedicated
to the Kingdom’s youth and educational
development. This will ensure the Program’s
continued operation, and allow it to gradually
increase the number of scholarships it awards
each year while maintaining the quality of
opportunities available to its recipients.  The
Program also hopes to introduce further
educational enrichment programs and training
for its scholars, and open up its scholarships to
graduates.
What personal challenges and aspirations
do you have for the future of CPISP target
segments?
The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship
Program aims to equip Bahrain’s outstanding
youth with the education and resources that
will allow them to succeed academically and
professionally. The success, accomplishments,
and achievements of Bahrain’s talented youth
will lay the foundation for Bahrain’s future,
and allow the younger generation to take key
leadership and decision-making roles that will
contribute to Bahrain’s development.
Best of Bahrain 123
 Royal Charity Organization
The Royal Charity Organization (RCO) was established by
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on July 14, 2001
with a decree to serve, donate for the cause of and help all
the orphans of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa meeting
with orphans in the Kingdom of Bahrain
In November, 4, 2001, another
Royal Decree was issued by
His Majesty King to assign the
organization with providing care
for widows. Also in November,
27, 2007, yet another Royal
Decree was issued to re-organize
the RCO, with His Majesty the
King as the Honorary President
of the organization and HH
Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al
Khalifa as the Chairman of the
Board of Trustees.
Our Mission
Royal Decree No. 33 for the
Year 2007 has defined the
Mission of the Organization as
follows:
• Sponsoring the Widows and
Dr. Mustafa Al Sayed, Secretary General of the RCO Orphans and caring for the
124 Best of Bahrain
Elderly and the People with
Special Need.
• Providing Social, Health
and Educational Care, and
contributing in mitigating the
burden of Cost of Living in
respect of the needy families.
• Contributing in setting up
and developing Social and
Charity Projects.
• Contributing in the
Sustainable Development
activities.
• Carrying out any other
directives that are made
by His Majesty, the
Honorary President of
the Organization, and / or
carrying out duties that
are ratified by the Board of
Trustees.
Our Vision
To Be…
A leading Royal Organization in
the field of Charity and Social
activities in the Kingdom of
Bahrain.

Our Message
Through the generous
Royal Care and by the
Distinguished Performance,
we would commit ourselves
to carry out Charitable,
benevolence and gracious
activities; and to put in effect
a humanitarian, social and
economical role that pays
dividend to the citizens; and
to contribute in improving the
spirit of cooperation in order
to raise the status of charity
Activities; and to support
the resources of the Needy
People in the Kingdom.
Our Values
• Benevolent Deeds
• Integrity
• Communal Cooperation
• Fairness
• Creativity
• Group Activities
• Respect for Others
The Organization
Provides The Following
Living Care :
• Monthly Payment for
individual Orphans and
widows sponsored by the
Organization.
• Season Allowances
(Ramadan, Eid..etc.).
• Discount Cards.
Educational Care:
• Schools Uniforms and all
necessary stationery.
• Higher Education
Scholarship.
• Education scholarship for
the disabled.
• Additional Tutorial lessons.
• Private institutions
scholarship.
The Organization Provides
The Following
Social Care:
• Educational and Social trips.
• Summer Activities.
• Spring Camps.
• National Events.
• The ideal mother award.
• Mothers and Orphans
councils.
Health Care:
• Provide free medical
services.
• Health educational seminars.
Sociological Care:
• Advice Centre.
• Periodical visits and
evaluation.
HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, honors the Royal Charity Organization (RCO)
• Sociological treatments. on winning the worldwide Islamic Relief (IR) Award, in recognition of RCO’s charity
work in the Kingdom of Bahrain and abroad. The Award in particular recognizes
Development Care: RCO’s excellence in providing aid and assistance to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,
• Employment Program. an initiative which is a part of the Kingdom’s larger role in national advocacy for the
• Leadership Program. Palestinian people during the Israeli war on Gaza.
March 2009
Housing Rehabilitation &
Renovation Project
Tel: +973 17 313666
August 2009 Email: info@osc.gov.bh
Humanitarian Aid www.orphans.gov.bh/eng/

Best of Bahrain 125

 Bahrain Polytechnic
Established in September 2008,
Bahrain Polytechnic offers degree
programmes in Engineering
Technology, Information &
Communications Technology,
Business and International
Logistics Management. The
institution has been established
in line with Bahrain’s Economic
Vision 2030.
With a mission to build a better
future for each Bahraini by
providing improved training
and education opportunities,
Bahrain Polytechnic offers and
teaches internationally recognised
programmes that are fully
based on the application of new
knowledge in real-life situations.
This helps the students acquire
126 Best of Bahrain
high levels of critical thinking and
problem solving skills. Currently
Business is the most popular
choice for students. Further
programmes are being developed
in areas such as Design which are
also high in demand.
The programmes also focus on
enhancing students’ teamwork,
communication, work ethics and
English language skills. The use of
information technology in teaching
and learning is a key component
of the Polytechnic’s programmes.
The objective is to provide
graduates who are work-ready
and have the range of both
applied skills and problem solving
abilities to meet the current

and emerging challenges of
the work place. It is this depth
and breadth of skills which will
equip young Bahrainis to both
contribute to and benefit from the
achievements of the 2030 vision.
Faculty
The highly experienced and skilled
faculty at Bahrain Polytechnic
possess a mix of academic
qualifications, industry experience
and teaching skills. The majority
of the faculty are from overseas
with large numbers of New
Zealanders, Irish, Australians,
British and others. These
expatriates work alongside a
group of Bahraini faculty that
is expected to grow with the
passing years. Currently, the
majority of the faculty is involved
in the teaching of English, a
core element of learning at the
Polytechnic.
Industry-Ready Graduates
Bahrain Polytechnic maintains
a close relationship with the
various industries, employers
and professional groups, both
in Bahrain and abroad. This
ensures that the students receive
continuous assistance and advice
that will enable them to be ‘work
ready’ and make a productive
contribution to Bahrain’s
economic development.
Attaining World-Class
Recognition
With the aim to be a world class
institution, Bahrain Polytechnic has
sourced most degree programmes
from reputed overseas
universities and been subject to
the accreditation regimes of the
provider countries. Others are
being developed by internationally
recognised subject matter experts.
The Polytechnic also engages
international quality assurance
agencies to undertake periodic
reviews to ensure academic
programmes are of international
standards. Thanks to the support
of the Economic Development
Board and the National Education
Reform Project Board, the
Polytechnic has obtained a high
profile in the Kingdom and has
already enjoyed great success in
student recruitment.
Challenges
However, Bahrain Polytechnic is still
a newly established institution and
a new concept of higher education
in Bahrain. The primary objective
of the Polytechnic is to create an
awareness of its presence among
the Bahraini students, parents and
employers. For that, the Polytechnic
has a strong Marketing and Liaison
team committed to “spreading the
word” about what the Polytechnic
has to offer to Bahrain.
The challenge also remains to
ensure that all students have
the language skills to excel in
their studies. The Polytechnic
has responded by putting great
emphasis on English language
teaching throughout the whole
course of students’ study at Bahrain
Polytechnic.
The Way Forward
Exciting times are ahead for
Bahrain Polytechnic with plans of
introducing short-term courses,
certificate and diploma courses,
directed at upgrading the skills
of those already in employment
and those actively seeking
employment.
The polytechnic will also work
towards strengthening and
developing existing ties within
the industry, business and other
employers. This partnership
is likely to foster sharing staff
resources, student placements,
curriculum advice, graduate
employment schemes, as well as
scholarships.
It’s certainly the way forward for
Bahrain Polytechnic!
Tel: +973 17 897 000        
 www.polytechnic.bh
Best of Bahrain 127
 Migrant Workers
Protection Society
The development of the Kingdom
of Bahrain that gained momentum
around the 1970s saw an exodus
of migrants into the country,
particularly those seeking to work
as labourers, the majority of whom
came from countries like India,
Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
and Sri Lanka. Whilst it is true
that the Kingdom of Bahrain is
a land of opportunity and has
been the harbinger of wealth
and good fortune to many, it is a
sad reality that not all have been
so lucky. Untold tragic stories
have abounded, but not for long.
A small group of volunteers,
migrants themselves, of various
nationalities, initially started to
work independently to provide
protection and assistance to low-
MWPS hopes to engage the whole of society to eradicate
income migrant workers who have
abuse and exploitation of low-income workers. been exploited and/or abused.
128 Best of Bahrain
Legally established in February
2005 at the invitation of the
Ministry of Social Development,
the Society that worked under
the umbrella of The Bahrain
Centre for Human Rights as
‘Migrant Workers Group’, has now
grown into a group of about fifty
volunteers who contribute their
personal time and effort to improve
working and living conditions for
the workers and to offer them a
‘voice’ when they suffer injustices.
The Migrant Workers Protection
Society (MWPS) now runs a
shelter to house female domestic
workers who have left their place
of employment due to some form
of abuse.
The main problems that are
commonly faced are:
- Non-payment and irregular
payment of salaries
- Underpayment of promised
salaries
- Workers not being given
contracts / contract violations
- False complaints by the
employer
- Physical and sexual abuse and
harassment
- Current labor law not
adequately covering domestic
workers
- Withholding of CPRs and
passports by employers
- Language barrier (hindering all
communication)
Unfortunately, this has not affected
the number of people desiring to
come to work here due to a lack of
awareness from the labor-sending
countries and of course the level
of poverty in which they live in their
countries. And the most affected
are the unskilled low-income
migrant workers and domestic
workers.
The reasons are numerous, some
of which are:
- Lack of awareness of their
rights
- Language barriers with
employers and relevant
government authorities
- Fear of reprisal when trying to
defend their own rights
- Inadequate knowledge of rules
and regulations in the gulf
countries
- Inadequate support from their
embassies and communities
 
To combat these issues, MWPS
has structured itself into four core
committees.
Action Committee:  To actively
support male and female migrant
workers round the clock who
are experiencing work-related
injustices
Shelter Committee: To manage
the shelter that houses female
domestic workers who have been
abused by their employers until
their cases have been resolved
by government institutions and
authorities.
Labor Safety & Welfare
Committee: To work towards
ensuring that health and safety
standards are being adhered to
in both the work place and in the
labor accommodation.
Since 2005, MWPS has housed over 500 female domestic workers in its Shelter and helped them to address and resolve their issues and
complaints as well, not to mention offering aid to thousands of stranded workers across the island.
Fund Raising Committee: To
raise necessary funds to support
the activities carried out by the
society.
The Government of the Kingdom
of Bahrain has been of tremendous
support as well. In 2009, MWPS
received a generous donation from
HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad
Al Khalifa, Crown Prince of the
Kingdom of Bahrain. The Ministry
of Social Development and the
Indian Embassy have pitched in
as well.
All other funding comes from
private donors and charitable
organisations as well as their own
fund-raising events.
In addition, MWPS owes its
gratitude for the cooperation and
assistance provided by the Ministry
of Labor, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Labor Market Regulatory Authority
(LMRA), General Directorate
for Nationality, Passports, and
Residency (GDNPR), Ministry of
Interior, Ministry of Health, Ministry
of Social Development and the
media.
Challenges
However, the members have a few
challenges to contend with:
- The lack of adequate
compliance with and
implementation of existing laws.
- Shortage of dedicated and
committed volunteers to
contribute long hours in
addressing the different issues
faced by migrant workers.
- Language barriers when dealing
with the workers and the
government authorities.
- Slow judiciary and bureaucratic
processes that can take
anywhere between 6 months to
2 to 3 years even. To a worker
that can mean no salary and
unemployment for the duration
of the court case.
Reaching Out
MWPS positions itself through
regular mention in the press,
by word of mouth, through
constant communication with
the embassies and through
government institutions such as
police stations and hospitals.
Members are always available
to render their help 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, sometimes long
after midnight even, accepting all
complaints if any migrant worker
is in trouble irrespective of caste,
religion, and race.
They are also approached by
various government departments
and agencies and have built strong
working relationships with them.
Achievements
MWPS is now a recognised
society in this field nationally,
regionally and globally who
regularly meet and interact
with many similar international
organisations.
MWPS has established a
strong relationship with various
government entities. It is regularly
consulted by various government
departments in the Kingdom of
Bahrain and asked for its input and
contributions through workshops
and conferences. It is one of only
3 non-governmental organisations
invited to attend the National
Committee to Combat Trafficking
in Personas at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs.
They have also launched a
Gas Stove initiative, which creates
awareness and identifies the
dangers of using kerosene stoves
in labor accommodation and aims
to in turn replace these with safer
gas stoves.
In time, they hope that the work
and living conditions of all low-
income migrant workers can be
raised to an acceptable standard,
safe for everyone.
Vision
MWPS hopes to help change
the general attitude of the public
towards these employees who
have made great sacrifices by
leaving their homes and families
behind to work in the country.
After all, these people help make
lives easier and help to accomplish
more for the Kingdom of Bahrain
and its people.
Tel: + 973 17 827895
www.mwpsbahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 129
Chapter 7
Real Estate, Construction & Design

130 Best of Bahrain

Best of Bahrain 131
 Architectural Landmarks
For the past few years, Bahrain has been undertaking
a construction spree, with several major projects either
just completed or on the verge of completion.
Hanan Hassan Alkhalfia

Projects comprise of residential apartments,
mixed-use developments, villas, hotels
and even man-made islands like Diyar Al
Muharraq and Dilmunia. The latter is a
health-centric island with related facilities in
resort style including cosmetic surgery, sports
medicine centre and alternative medicine
centre. Significant amount of construction
materials are required for such projects
and most of them are imported from GCC
countries and Turkey, India and China.
With human labour coming from abroad as
well, mainly from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh and the Phillippines.
The Bahrain World Trade Centre (BWTC) is
remarkably one of the most iconic architectural
landmarks in the country of the 21st century.
Designed by Atkins, the architecture and
engineering consultancy that has designed
Burj Khalifa in Dubai and constructed by joint
venture of Nass and Murray & Roberts, the
50-storeyed twin towers offers panoramic
views of Manama’s landscape. Featuring three
large wind turbines on it’s exterior, BWTC is

132 Best of Bahrain

interconnected with a five-star
Sheraton in addition to Moda
Mall.
Many touristic projects are
being developed near the Bahrain
International Circuit in the South
of Island, known as the Southern
Governate, such as Durrat Al

Best of Bahrain 133

134 Best of Bahrain
 Kingdom of Bahrain Pearl Roundabout a trophy upholding Bahrain Airport expansion plans to triple
the pearl and six arms signifying the GCC nations passanger capacity in the next 30 years

Bahrain and Expo City @ Bahrain

initiated by Bahrain’s Exhibition
and Convention Authority.
Another note-worthy
development is the Bahrain
Financial Harbour (BFH), a water-
front development located near
Manama. Covering 380,000
square metres, BFH is a self-
contained community offering
high-end office space, luxury
residential accommodation,
hotel, leisure and entertainment
opportunities. It takes about
ten minutes to reach BFH from
Bahrain International Airport.
Modern architecture, like
many other aspects in Bahrain,
co-exists with the ancient.
With a rich heritage of ancient
civilizations, it is not surprising
to spot forts that were built
centuries ago. The Bahraini Fort
is one such landmark in Manama.
Known in Arabic as Qalat Al
Bahrain, it was built in the 14th
century and declared a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 2005.
The Bahrain Fort is situated at
the end of Karbabad village, on
Bahrain’s central northern coast.
Another building of historical
importance is The Museum of
Pearl Diving. Officially inaugurated
by the late HH Sheikh Hamad
Bin Isa Al Khalifa, in October
1937, it is the first official centre
for the Bahrain Courts. At that
time, the building was divided
into four important sections,
each of which represents the four
Supreme Courts, excluding the
three Directorates of the country.
Today, it is a traditional heritage
centre whose sections and
rooms have been transformed
into exhibition and presentation
galleries. Other notable buildings
are Bahrain’s National Museum
and the Al Fateh Mosque with the
world’s largest fiber glass dome.

Best of Bahrain 135

 Dilmunia at Bahrain
to promote health,
wellness and tranquillity
Bahrain will soon be the home of an island dedicated exclusively
to promoting and enhancing health and well-being. 85c 0m 10y 0k 71c 64m 1y 0k 80c 20m 100y 0k 59c 7m 0y 5k

This manmade island, Dilmunia

at Bahrain, is being created by
Ithmaar Development Company
(IDC), the developer and
manager of Ithmaar Bank’s major
development projects including
real estate projects, infrastructure
projects, resorts, hotels, medical
facilities and commercial buildings.
“Dilmunia at Bahrain is a
master-planned development
positioning itself as a global leader
in the promotion and enhancement
of health and well-being,” said

136 Best of Bahrain

IDC Chief Executive Officer and
Member of the Board, Mohamed
Khalil Al Sayed. “Dilmunia aims to
enrich Bahrain’s tourism offerings,
bringing varied facilities and
experiences to people living in or
visiting the Kingdom.”
The Island is set to include
three five-star hotels offering
alternative therapeutic services, a
four-star hotel with a commercial
component, residential housing
of different categories, in addition
to the Island’s anchor theme;
and the central health and
wellness cluster in Dilmunia
Health District. The manmade
island will be a mix of residential,
hospitality, leisure and commercial
developments, surrounding a
core of comprehensive health
and wellness amenities, which
will together offer an alternative
‘balanced’ perspective towards life
and living.
“Dilmunia will be the destination
for harried citizens of the Middle
East and the world in search of an
environment that strives to prevent
illness and promote healthy and
active living,” says Al Sayed.
“The project is being developed
over an area of 125 hectares of
land reclaimed off the northeast
seashore of Muharraq Island only a
few minutes away from the Bahrain
International Airport.”
Inspired by ancient Dilmun,
widely believed to be the Garden
of Eden, the Dilmunia at Bahrain
Island will be a lush green oasis.
The peace and tranquillity offered
by the myriad shades of green
and clear blue water, will serve
to complement the comfort and
security of the dwellings. With
expert healthcare and medical
facilities just a stone’s throw away,
the dream of achieving physical,
mental, spiritual and emotional
equilibrium will no longer be so
elusive.
“Dilmunia at Bahrain will
promote healthy and active
living through a combination of
beautifully landscaped serene
Best of Bahrain 137
 surroundings, health-oriented
leisure amenities and world-
class conventional, aesthetic
and alternative medical facilities,”
says Al Sayed. “Residents
will enjoy a lifestyle where the
seamless integration of nature
and architecture provides the ideal
ambience for complete relaxation
and interaction with nature;
paramount to achieving a healthy
work-life balance. Extensive and
creative landscaping will inspire
residents to spend time outdoors,
whether exercising or strolling
along the tree-lined avenues and
waterfront paths. The intelligent
integration of amenities with
residential living will maximize
opportunities to share quality time
with friends and family,” he says.
Dilmunia will offer international-
standard health and wellness
138 Best of Bahrain
facilities in a resort-style
environment. In addition to
specialist clinics, hospitals, spas
and other wellness facilities, it will
include boutique hotels, residential
areas, leisure amenities, as well as
shopping centres.
Residing on Dilmunia will
present a wide choice of housing
options that have been designed
to enhance wellness. From one-
of-a-kind and unconventional
secluded villas, to luxury
condominiums, waterside, pier
side and quayside living options
set to capture your imagination,
as well as your hearts. Meanwhile,
life enriching hospitality will be
offered at the various themed
hotels, developed to cater to your
every mood and craving; with
practices from traditional Chinese
concepts to Thai herbalist beliefs;
French-inspired hydro remedies
to traditional hammam rituals.
In essence, world renowned
practices to not only pamper, but
uplift you into a state of wellness.
Woven into the texture of life at
Dilmunia will also be a multitude
of lifestyle experiences for you to
indulge in. Lifestyle oasis, strips or
pods will be available for shopping,
feasting, eating, relaxing or just
chilling out. Specialized retail and
designer outlets, hi-tech Cineplex’s
or gourmet food and beverage
outlets will jostle for your attention.
In keeping with the philosophy
at Dilmunia, cherishing health
and wellness is of prime concern.
With an access to world-class
medical facilities and services,
the promotion of better living and
the prevention of lifestyle ailments
will be achieved. Managed and
operated by a core group of
medical professionals and world-
renowned specialists, the Wellness
Centre will provide treatment
options through alternative
medicine, physical therapy, as well
as through diagnostic tests, dietary
control and conditioning for the
body, mind and soul.
Envisioned as an oasis of
secrecy and delight, the Wellness
garden of Dilmunia will co-exist
in complete harmony with the
concrete structures that form its
landscape. A milieu of themed
gardens, waterways, wetlands and
parks provide the much needed
contrast for creating that feeling of
vibrant yet languid, the feeling of
being one with nature.
Life in Dilmunia, amidst the
lush landscape, insightful designs,
professionally run amenities and
lifestyle attractions, will motivate
an awareness of wellness. It
will inspire a view of life that
emphasizes the state of the
entire being and its ongoing
development. It affirms this simple
truth of life: ‘an active mind in an
active body’, in an environment
that is both spirited and dynamic.
Reclamation work on US$1.6
billion island was formally
completed on 31 May 2009 – and
a new island was added to the
shores of Bahrain.
With the Project quickly taking
shape, IDC has already concluded
deals for the sale of additional plots
on the Island, signed agreements
with a prestigious international
hotel chain and is now finalising
negotiations with Dilmunia Health
District partners.
“The Island is located on the
north east coast of Muharraq,
close to Amwaj Island, 500 meters
south of it, and 500 meters away
from the Muharraq ring road,” says
Al Sayed. “It will be accessible by a
bridge taking off from the ring road,
some 500 meters before reaching
the Amwaj Island access road.”
“One of the unique
characteristics of Dilmunia is the
shield-shaped profile of the island,”
says Al Sayed. “As a result, the
Island is seven meters higher in
the centre, where the medical
cluster is located, than it is at the
shoreline. This will mean improved
views for everyone as well as the
ability to build underground parking
facilities.”
Tel: +973 17 584 600
info@dilmuniaatbahrain.com
www.dilmuniaatbahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 139
 DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ
Welcome to DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ, one
of the biggest mixed-use residential urban
development in Bahrain!

Aaref Hejres - Chief Executive Officer of
DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ
What is particularly significant
about it is that this 12-square
kilometre city is being created
entirely on reclaimed land off the
northern shores of Muharraq.
Already, the first stage of
reclamation is 97 percent complete
with handover of the northern
islands in March 2010. Stage 2
reclamation is already underway
and will begin staged handover of
land from the first quarter of 2011.
Much of the land that’s available
for early access is focused on the
local development market and is
particularly affordable.
To make the development more
affordable, DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ
is working closely with design
consultants to challenge current
design standards and optimise
development efficiency. Feasible
international alternatives are
encouraged to be adopted
when they meet or exceed the
current design standards. Since
meticulous research and planning
had gone into the project during
the initial stage, it later enabled the
developer to efficiently stand true
to the planned costs during the
implementation stage.
While working with proven
investors and developers, DIYAR
AL MUHARRAQ discovered
that there is a great deal of
interest shown, particularly for
the affordable and mid-income
targeted product.
To meet the demands of the
market, the developer will offer
a wide variety of products in all
property types, for institutions,
investors and home-owners alike.
The properties will be available
in luxury as well as cost-effective
variants to further boost the
community mix in the project. The
prices will be based on a numbers
of factors that still need to be
finalised.
A mix of luxury as well as
affordable housing products has
thus enabled the developer to
successfully address the various
challenges posed by the short and
long-term cycles of real-estate
development.
Environmental Commitment
Speaking of challenges, DIYAR
AL MUHARRAQ has incorporated
environmental commitment as part

140 Best of Bahrain

The proposed public beach with a length
of over a kilometre will be connected to
the rest of the community via a pedestrian/
cycle path designed to interconnect the
large beach and main park to the local
neighbourhood park system planned
throughout the development.

of its corporate vision. Since its

very inception, the project has set
new benchmarks in the Kingdom
of Bahrain with regards to the
implementation and environmental
monitoring of reclamation
techniques.
DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ has
consulted with international expert
environmental bodies as well as its
master-planners, and locally, with
the Directorate of Environmental
Assessment and planning (DEAP)
and Marine Resources Directorate
(MRD), to ensure that the best
options are selected.
Many of these activities are
being carried out for the first time
in Bahrain. DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ
can proudly say that these
initiatives have helped to move

Best of Bahrain 141

DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ will be uniquely positioned to provide housing for
each sector according to the requirements in the marketplace.

142 Best of Bahrain


the environmental agenda forward
and hope that other developers
will follow.
As a fully integrated mixed
use community, the developer
has ensured triple bottom line
sustainability by combining
environmentally sustainable
development and providing
new homes for the people of
Bahrain in a quality urban fabric,
whilst encouraging sustained
local employment, economic
investment and growth.
The regulations for DIYAR
AL MUHARRAQ have been
developed to provide for a long
term sustainable community
that blends both traditional and
modern architectural themes. For
instance, parking requirements
that exceed the current standards
have been proposed. These
parking regulations have been
developed by reviewing the
regulations of many international
countries, such as the US, UK
and Australia.
Facilities
Recreational and public facilities
to benefit the residents of DIYAR
AL MUHARRAQ are planned
throughout the development.
Locations for health centres,
public and private schools,
police stations, fire stations and
mosques have been identified.
In addition, there have been
discussions with government
ministries to provide a full-scale
municipal government complex
within the community. Open
space areas for recreation,
to be located in each of the
communities have already been
identified.
But the main attraction for
the residents of DIYAR AL
MUHARRAQ and the Kingdom of
Bahrain will be the public beach
proposed on the south eastern
shore of the community.
Employment Opportunities
Directly and indirectly, DIYAR
AL MUHARRAQ will promote
economic growth and
development by facilitating
business and employment at a
variety of levels, from the inclusion
of a new Central Business District
and incorporation of smaller
localised operations in tailored
commercial villas along with the
establishment of a dedicated
service and logistics Centre for
businesses of all sizes. This will
give opportunities for residents
within DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ to
live, work and entertain within the
same community.
Vision
DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ is very
optimistic about the market
over the next 5 years. From its
inception, DIYAR AL MUHARRAQ
has included housing products
for all strata of society, and while
the current focus is on the more
affordable products, other market
segments will be prioritised as the
development progresses.
Tel: +973 77 155 555
www.diyar.bh
Best of Bahrain 143
 The most perfect pearl
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s landscape is changing as each building project
shapes up. With Durrat Al Bahrain, the quality of lifestyle too is taking hold of
a whole new meaning. Luxury takes a step further in the Kingdom.

Durrat Al Bahrain is a jewel in
the making to the crown of the
country‘s development. And the
country is highly expectant of
this resort-style project. Located
on the south coast of Bahrain,
this 21-square kilometre master
development has been created
across a cluster of 15 spectacular
islands. It will host, among
others, beautiful beachfront
villas, executive apartments and
offices, luxury hotels and spa
resorts, parks and entertainment
precincts, premier retail malls and
restaurants, a 400 berth marina,
and an Ernie Els-designed 18-hole
golf course. Durrat Al Bahrain,
named after the “most perfect
pearl” in the Arabian Gulf, is a
US$6 billion joint development
owned by the government of
Bahrain and Kuwait Finance
House (Bahrain). The project
is designed by W.S. Atkins &
Partners Overseas, the world-
renowned design, engineering
and consultancy firm, and project
managed by KMC Bovis Lend
Lease JV, an international project
development management firm.
Upon completion, Durrat Al
Bahrain will be the region’s most
prominent seaside resort city,
putting Bahrain on the upscale
tourism map.
The Islands
The most prominent aspect of
Durrat Al Bahrain are The Islands,
which carve an exquisite green
necklace atop the graceful, blue
waters of the Gulf. Designed in
two circular rows of 11 islands,
The Islands are a glorious visual
treat and undoubtedly, the “crown
jewel” of Durrat Al Bahrain. The
Islands are purely residential
and are designed to offer the
international urban community with
the serenity of island lifestyle. Just
over 1000 lavish villas of varying
sizes and styles adorn the islands,
with privileged lifestyle options
like private beaches, marina and
boat mooring, lush gardens and
breathtaking sea views. These
fascinating islands are strung
together with a network of inter-
connecting bridges and a circular
arterial that connects The Islands
to either ends of The Crescent, the
urban hub of Durrat Al Bahrain.
The Crescent
While serenity will dominate life
on the Atoll and Petal Islands,
the Crescent will serve as the
commercial hub of the island
community. For those seeking
to combine the resort lifestyle
with key elements of urban living,
the Crescent will boast some

144 Best of Bahrain

6,000 apartments and offices set
against the backdrop of a bustling
piazza featuring restaurants,
cafes, a large-scale modern
shopping mall, public beaches
and a host of community facilities,
including masjids, health centres
and schools. Connected to the
Crescent will also be the project’s
hotel island, which will have an
estimated 600 rooms and a private
beach.
Durrat Al Bahrain will possess
all the amenities expected of
a city and to this end, Beacon
Education, the UAE’s leading
provider of education services, will
run two schools with 1200 pupils
each, with one school offering the
UK curriculum and the other the
International Baccalaureate.
Durrat Marina
Tameer and Durrat Khaleej Al
Bahrain, through a joint venture,
will also develop a full-service
700,000 square-metre marina,
Durrat Marina, which will provide
berthing space for some 400
boats and yachts along with
day stack storage of 300-400
boats and marina maintenance
facility. Arranged over three
islands it will set the scene for
a canal environment, complete
with a yacht club, waterfront town
houses, apartments, numerous
cafes and shopping outlets lining
its winding paths and waterways.
The Golf Course
Spanning approximately 90
hectares of lush green land with
the marina and the sea as the
backdrop, the golf course will be
surrounded by a club house, a
driving range, a 200-room 5-star
hotel complex and 2200 beautifully
designed luxury residential villas
and apartments. Ernie Els Design
is the company designing the
course including waterways.
Community facilities around
The Golf Course include schools,
health and well-being centres
and mixed-use sports centres.
To facilitate ownership for all
prospective residents, innovative
financing schemes have been put
in place. A freehold ownership
law has opened opportunities
for investment by expatriates
and well-thought out financing
structures, both Sharia-compliant
and conventional, are also in place
to assist mid-level income earners
to own the home of their dreams
in Durrat Al Bahrain.
Tel: +973 17556999
www.durratbahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 145
 Bahrain Investment
Wharf (BIW)
The US$ 2 Billion Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW) is
the largest privately owned and managed mixed-use
Industrial and Logistics Park in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Being Developed by Tameer through a unique Private
Public Partnership the Park will develop large-scale
industrial parks within Bahrain’s main industrial hub.

146 Best of Bahrain


Aerial view of Bahrain Investment Wharf
BIW Headquarters at the Wharf
Covering an area of 1.7 million
square metres and located
within the Salman Industrial
City, BIW offers investors pre-
serviced plots supported by
world-class infrastructure and
services. BIW is ideally suited
for various sectors, which
include;
• Industrial
• Logistics and Warehousing
Park
• Business and Commercial
Park
• Residential Park
• Services Areas
Why invest in BIW?
• BIW’s strategic location
within the Kingdom’s main
industrial zone (Salman
Industrail City).
• BIW’s accessibility to
A project by
Bahrain’s main infrastructure
and roads network
• Utilising Bahrain as an
export hub to the USA
through the Free Trade
Agreement. Bahrain &
USA share a mutual
trade approaching US$ 1
billion per year, and this
landmark FTA will help
to open up further new
export opportunities for
US industries, not only in
Bahrain but also the rest of
the region.
• Utilisation of skilled Bahraini
workforce
• The diversification of
Bahrain’s economy away
from oil and the existence of
a tax free environment.
• The stable currency of
Bahrain Mr. Ahmed Al Qattan, Chairman of BIW
Best of Bahrain 147
The King’s inauguration of the Salman Industrial City with
BIW’s Chairman, Mr. Ahmed Al Qattan – January 2010

Aerial view of BIW’s Labour Accommodation While speaking about BIW’s

progress, Mr. Ahmed Al
Qattan, Chairman of BIW
says, “BIW is a sizable project
with major developments yet
to happen. Since it’s launch
in 2006, the park received
tremendous regional attention
and as a result the park was
marketed successfully. The land
reclamation was completed

148 Best of Bahrain

at the end of 2008, and the
infrastructure went under way
since then; this is also nearing
completion with more than
80 percent being completed.
During this time, tenants have
also started the construction
of their facilities and there are
a number of them who have
reached their completion.
Equally important is the
completion of BIW’s two main
substations each at 66kv at the
Wharf with the third one also
close to its completion.”
With the recent market
downturn a number of sectors
have faced a great deal of
impact, mainly those operating
within the real estate and
financial sectors, saying this
BIW has pulled through steadily
being it as an industrial project
that has also been looked at as
an opportunity to diversify away
from the harder hit sectors.
BIW extends its support
to the Government’s Vision
2030 to diversify the economy,
opportunities for partnerships
with the Government and
initiatives for attracting foreign
investments to the Kingdom.
BIW also encourages the start-
up of small to medium business
industries and believes that BIW
can offer the platform for such
businesses to flourish in Bahrain
and become the backbone of
Bahrain’s strong economy.
Tel: +973 17 468 500
www.bahiw.com
Best of Bahrain 149
Chapter 8
Banking, Investment & Finance

150 Best of Bahrain

 Best of Bahrain 151

Planned new Headquarters of Al Baraka

Banking Group in the Kingdom of Bahrain
 Bahrain - Banking Hub in
the Middle East
The Kingdom of Bahrain has deservedly earned the distinction of
being the nerve centre of financial services in the Middle East.

152 Best of Bahrain

With around 400 financial
establishments ranging from local
lenders to specialised large-scale
project finance investment banks
in Bahrain, the country serves as a
gateway to Middle East’s financial
ventures like petrochemicals
complexes, skyscrapers, offshore
tourist developments and
infrastructure ventures. According
to the Central Bank of Bahrain,
Bahrainis occupied 72% of the
9753 financial services jobs by
the end of 2006. The financial
sector is the largest single
employer in Bahrain, with Bahrainis
representing over 80 percent of the
work-force.
Central Bank of Bahrain
The Central Bank of Bahrain, the
sole integrated regulator of the
Kingdom of Bahrain’s financial
services, is responsible for
ensuring monetary and financial
stability in the Kingdom of
Bahrain and for maintaining the
internal and external value of
Best of Bahrain 153
 the national currency. It is also
the single integrated regulator
of Bahrain’s financial services
industry. With a vision to mobilise
the country’s economy to a
higher platform, the Central Bank
of Bahrain works on ensuring a
growing economy in the country.
Islamic Financial Services
The Islamic financial services
154 Best of Bahrain
(IFS) sector of Bahrain is
certainly the largest in the GCC
region with 26 Islamic banks,
including four of the five largest
in the world, a wide range of
other IFS companies and sector
development organisations.
As the global economic crisis
unfolded, IFS was considered
as a sort of safety net for the
overall financial sector. Since
Sharia law prohibits interest-
based financial products,
Islamic banks around the
world were not exposed to
the subprime and other toxic
assets. However, towards 2009
when the oil prices decreased
along with real estate prices,
the effects of the economic
crisis caught up with the IFS
sector. Both conventional and
Islamic banks entered 2009
cautiously. However, IFS is still
moving forward in the Kingdom
of Bahrain. In the current time of
economic lethargy, the country
is striving to retain its crown of
glory as the undisputed leader
of IFS.
Currency Counts
The official currency of the
Kingdom of Bahrain is the dinar
which stands as the second
highest valued currency, after
the Kuwaiti Dinar. Before 1965,
the year when the Bahraini
dinar was introduced in the
country, Gulf Rupee that
was circulated by the Indian
government was used as the
currency. The name ‘dinar’ is
derived from the Roman word
denarius. One dinar consists
of 1000 fils. The Kingdom of
Bahrain faces stiff competition
from Dubai and Doha who are
vying to establish themselves
as financial services centre in
the GCC. Also, Saudi Arabia
is keen to promote itself as a
financial centre.
Best of Bahrain 155
 Islamic Banking
Islamic banks operate in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and
Africa. At the threshold of the 21st century, Islamic banks had
about US $700 billion in funds under their management.

What is an Islamic Bank
Broadly speaking an “Islamic
bank is an institution that
mobilizes financial resources
and invests that money
in an attempt to achieve
pre-determined islamically -
acceptable social and financial
objectives. Both mobilization
and investment of money
should be conducted in
accordance with the principles
of Islamic Shari’a”.
A few decades ago,
modern banking and financial
institutions that encompass
Islamic values within their
principles and practices
seemed to be merely a remote
dream. Today, however, Islamic
banking has become a viable
financial approach that attracts
an increasing amount of capital
investment. As a concept
Islamic Banking was developed
as a result of the religious
prohibition of the payment
or receipt of interest. The
fundamental principles of
Islamic Banking go back over
one thousand four hundred
years. They are set out in
Shari’a law and are enshrined
in the Qur’an, the Hadith
and the Sunna. Today, these
principles form the basis of the
contemporary Islamic Banking
range of Islamic financial
products & services.
There is no standard way
of grouping Islamic Financial
Institutions, but in terms of
services rendered, today Islamic
Financial Institutions can be
divided into the following broad
categories:
Islamic Banks, Islamic Windows,
Islamic Finance/Investment Banks,
Islamic Mortgage Companies,
Takaful Companies, Mudarabah
Companies & Islamic investment
Funds.
Evolution of Islamic
Banking
Although it draws inspiration
from practices and values that
go back centuries to the dawn of
Islam as inclined above, Modern
Islamic banking started in the early
1960s concurrently in Egypt and
Malaysia. In 1962, the Pilgrimage
Fund, TABUNG HAJI, was
established in Malaysia to accept
saving deposits from persons who
intend to make the pilgrimage to
Makkah and invest the proceeds
in accordance with the Islamic
law. The Fund grew to provide
full scale banking services and to
become one of the largest banks
in Malaysia. Around the same time
and completely independently a
series of small saving/investment
banks were established in Egypt’s
countryside, beginning in 1963 in
the village of Mit Ghamr. These
small banks also practiced the
same principle of interest-free
banking.

156 Best of Bahrain

 Image Contributed by: Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA)

The Idea continued to develop By the mid 1980s, this new reasons, but also because 1. Prohibition of Interest or Usury
theoretically until 1974, when species of ethical banks, they provided professional The principles of Islamic finance
the first Islamic commercial based on Islamic principles and friendly services to their are established in the Qur’an,
Islamic bank was established became an established part customers.   which Muslims believe are the
in Dubai, the United Arab of mainstream banking in the exact Words of God as revealed
Emirates. The same year also Middle East and South Asia. Principles of Islamic to the Prophet Mohammed. These
witnessed signing the agreement They continued to sprout Banking Islamic principles of finance can be
to establish the Islamic across South and East Asia There is no standard way of narrowed down to four individual
Development Bank IDB as an in addition to Turkey and the defining what an Islamic bank is, concepts.
inter-governmental pan-Islamic Arab countries.  Subsequently, but broadly speaking an “Islamic
bank. The IDB’s main objective ethical banks and financial bank is an institution that The first and most important
is to finance development institutions, based on Islamic mobilises financial resources concept is that both the
projects in the Muslim countries principles, spread in countries and invests them in an attempt charging and the receiving of
in accordance with the rules where Muslims are minorities, to achieve predetermined interest is strictly forbidden. This
and ethics of Islamic finance, such as UK, Luxemburg, islamically - acceptable social is commonly known as Riba1
followed a short time later by Denmark, Australia, India and financial objectives. Both or Usury. Money, on its own,
Faisal Islamic Bank in Egypt and and the United States. Many mobilisation and investment of may not generate profits. When
Sudan (1977), Bahrain Islamic Muslims flocked to these funds should be conducted in Riba infects an entire economy,
Bank, and Jordan Islamic Bank new banking institutions, not accordance with the principles it jeopardises the well-being of
(1978). only for ethical and religious of Islamic Shari’a”.  everyone living in that society.

Best of Bahrain 157

When investors are more
concerned with rates of interest
and guaranteed returns than
they are with the uses to which
money is put, the results can
only be negative.
Adherents of Islam believe that
the Qur’an is the final book of
God’s word following both the
Torah and the Bible. As a result,
there are a number of similarities
between the Islamic, Christian
and Jewish faiths.
Quoting Shaikh Saleh Abdullah
Kamel, Chairman and Founder
of Albaraka Banking Group;
“Usury is forbidden in all the
three religions, Judaism,
Christianity and Islam, but it is
the people who forget the rules
of Allah. All societies, nowadays
158 Best of Bahrain
- Muslims, Christians and Jews -
deal with Usury.”
2. Ethical Standards
The second guiding principle
concerns the ethical standards.
When Muslims invest their money
in something, it is their religious
duty to ensure that what they
invest in is good and wholesome.
It is for this reason that Islamic
investing includes serious
consideration of the business
to be invested in, its policies,
the products it produces, the
services it provides, and the
impact that these have on
society and the environment. In
other words, Muslims must take
a close look at the business they
are about to become involved in.
In all facets of the financial
system, Islam has certain
rules, certain regulations as to
how Muslims should go about
participating in these activities.
For example, in share trading or
the securities market, Islam looks
at the activities of the companies,
to establish whether or not
the companies are involved in
activities which are in line with
Sharia’a.
3. Moral and Social Values
The third guiding principle
concerns moral and social
values. The Qur’an calls on all
its adherents to care for and
support the poor and destitute.
Islamic financial institutions are
expected to provide special
services to those in need. This is
not confined to mere charitable
donations but has also been
institutionalised in the industry in
the form of profit-free loans or Al
Quard Al Hasan.
An Islamic bank’s business
includes certain social projects,
as well as charitable donations.
Islamic banks provide profit-
free loans. For example, if an
individual needs to go to hospital
or wants to go to university,
we give what is called Quard
Al Hasan. This Quard Hasan is
normally given for a short period
of one year and the Islamic bank
does not charge anything for
that.
4. Liability and Business Risk
The final principle concerns
the overarching concept of
fairness, the idea that all parties
concerned should both share
in the risk and profit of any
endeavor. To be entitled to a

return, a provider of finance
must either accept business
risk or provide some service
such as supplying an asset,
otherwise the financier is, from a
Sharia’a point of view, not only
an economic parasite but also a
sinner. This principle is derived
from a saying of the Prophet
Mohammed (May Peace be upon
Him) “Profit comes with liability”.
What this means is that one
becomes entitled to profit only
when one bears the liability, or
risk of loss. By linking profit with
the possibility of loss, Islamic law
distinguishes lawful profit from all
other forms of gain.
In order to insure that these
principles are followed, each
Islamic institution must establish
and provide itself with an
Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif President
& Chief Executive with H.E. Amro
Moussa - Secretary-General of the
League of Arab States (2008)
Last year Group Strategy Meeting - held
in the Kingdom of Bahrain (2009)
advisory council known as a Differences from conventional banks:
Sharia’a Board. The members
of Sharia’a Boards can include
bankers, lawyers or religious
Islamic Banking Conventional Banking
scholars as long as they are
trained in the Islamic law, or
Sharia’a.
In 2001, the Industry witnessed Focus on Investment Focus on lending
a remarkable development in
this regard by the initiative of
the Accounting and Auditing
Organization for the Islamic Emphasis on soundness Emphasis on ability to repay
Financial Institutions or AAOIFI. of project
At that time, AAOIFI’s standards
were enhanced to include
elements that aim at broadening Coordination with partners Dependence on borrowing
the role of the external auditor. in resource mobilization in resource mobilization
Now according to these new
developments the external
auditor is also required to look
Apply moral criteria in
for compliance with Sharia’a Apply only financial criteria
Investment
rules as defined by the Sharia’a
supervisory board of each bank
and in accordance with the
Sharia’a standards AAOIFI has For more information about Al Baraka Banking Group and its
begun to issue. Subsidiaries please visit www.albaraka.com
Best of Bahrain 159
 Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President & Chief Executive

Interview with President & Chief Executive

The Kingdom of Bahrain is home to more than 400 banks and financial After all it is our job to contribute to the community and to promote
institutions. In face of such heavy competition, Al Baraka Banking Group Bahrain as the financial centre of the region.
continues to grow at an enviable pace with more than 300 branches
in 12 countries within the MENA region and around the globe. Not Adnan Ahmed Yousif, President and Chief Executive
surprising, when we work to create a win-win atmosphere. Based on www.adnanyousif.com
Shari’a principles – Partnership and Ethics, we ensure that all parties
involved in a transaction receive an added value. Our dedication holds
true even when a large opportunity with a lucrative return has to be
missed. Our intention is to grow worldwide while gaining confidence
of our investors. Through technology and innovation, the network is
growing with a prospective of 350 branches by end of 2010 and 500
branches worldwide by 2014.

Also, Al Baraka Banking Group has established Islamic banking

principles in England, setting up the Islamic Bank of Britain and the
European Islamic Investment Bank of which we hold shares. We are
encouraged to build our next branch in France as we have seen demand
grow.

Individuals, globally, come to us for three main reasons, first because

they are satisfied with our products, second because of our service
quality and third because of the good returns on our transactions. And
we are simply happy that our efforts have been recognised. We are
honored and humbled to receive the title of the World Islamic Banking Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif with the Prime Minister of Egypt -
Conference (WIBC) Islamic Banker of the Year in both 2004 and 2009. Dr. Ahmed Nadhif in Sep 2009

160 Best of Bahrain

 Al Baraka Banking Group
The Group offers retail, corporate and investment banking
as well as treasury services strictly in accordance with the
principles of the Shari’a.

General Managers of Al Baraka Banking Group in 12 Subsidiaries in Nov 2009

Al Baraka Banking Group is
considered a pioneer in Islamic
Banking with one of the largest
banking groups worldwide,
managing 12 Subsidiaries and
providing the following types of
products:
- Investment Products
- Commercial Banking
- Retail
- Treasury services
Vision
‘We believe society needs a fair
and equitable financial system:
one which rewards effort and
contributes to the development of
the community.’
Mission
‘To meet the financial needs of
communities across the world
by conducting business ethically
in accordance with our beliefs,
practicing the highest professional
standards and sharing the mutual
benefits with the customers, staff
and shareholders who participate
in our business success.’
Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR)
Al Baraka Banking Group is
committed to the society and
its needs. Through sponsoring
educational and social projects
that boost the living conditions of
the local community, we make all
possible efforts to apply one of
the important philosophical pillars
of Islamic banking: the concept
of “construction of land”, which
means adding tangible value to
assets.
Islamic principles are followed in all
countries that Al Baraka Banking
Group operates in. They are:
First:
Investments that contribute
to the production of alcoholic
beverages, tobacco or weapons,
or are associated in any way with
gambling, pornography or the
abuse of children, women and
minorities, or any other morally
questionable practices are
forbidden.
Second:
All Islamic banks and financial
institutions refrain charging Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif receiving the
or paying of interest as Islam Long Service Certificate Award in Al Baraka
Banking Group in Jan 2010
prohibits it. Instead, Al Baraka
Group’s banking subsidiaries,
like all Islamic banks; accept
deposits on an investment
basis whereby depositors share
with the bank in the actual
results of the realisation of
their investments. Financing
is provided to businesses in
turn mainly on the basis of
installment sale, leasing or equity
participation. Nevertheless, Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif receiving the
customers share with their prestigious title of ‘Islamic Banker of
the Year’ (WIBC) at the 16th World
depositors the profit received
Islamic Banking Conference - from
from the partnership between the Governor of the Central Bank of
investors and entrepreneurs in Bahrain (CBB) in Dec 2009

Best of Bahrain 161

Planned new Headquarter of Al Baraka Bank subsidiary in Durban, South Africa

162 Best of Bahrain

 which both the risks and the
Al Baraka Banking Group
rewards are shared. Returns on is a leading bank with
invested capital are based on Standard and Poors long
profits actually generated rather
than predetermined interest
and short term credit
rates. ratings of BBB- and A-3
respectively. It is listed
Third:
All contracts entered into by
on the Bahrain Stock
Al Baraka Group’s banking Exchange and NASDAQ
subsidiaries, and all their relations Dubai. The authorised
with businesses and depositors,
must comply with the ethical
capital of Al Baraka
standards of the Shari’a. Banking Group is US$1.5
billion, while the total
Core Values
equity amounts to about
PARTNERSHIP US$1.7 billion.
Our shared beliefs create strong
bonds that form the basis of
long-term relationships with
customers and staff.

DRIVEN
We have the energy and
perseverance necessary to make
an impact on our customers’
lives for the greater good of
society.

NEIGHBOURLY
We value and respect the
communities we serve, our doors
Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif meets
are always open, our customers
EU High Representative Mr. Javier
always experience a warm- Solana in March 2009
hearted, hospitable welcome and
accommodating service.

Planned new Headquarters of Al Baraka PEACE OF MIND

Banking Group in the Kingdom of Bahrain
Our customers can rest assured
that their financial interests are
being managed by us to the
highest ethical standards.

SOCIAL CONTRIBUTION
By banking with us, our
customers make a positive
contribution to a better society - Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif with
their growth and our growth will H.E. Sheikh Saad Hariri, Prime Minister
of Lebanon at The Annual Arab Banking
benefit the world around us. Conference in Nov 2009

Although the Al Baraka Banking Group is relatively

new, its antecedents go back almost 30 years. The
Planned new Headquarter of Group has come about as a result of a consolidation
Al Baraka Turk Participation
Bank subsidiary in Turkey of various interests of Shaikh Saleh Abdullah Kamel in
10 Islamic banks, with the objective of adding strength
and purpose to his vision of creating a global Islamic
banking group.

Tel: +973 17 541 122

www.albaraka.com

Best of Bahrain 163

Chapter 8
Oil, Gas & Manufacturing

164 Best of Bahrain

Best of Bahrain 165
 Bapco

When was Bapco established and how has its position in the
regional oil and gas industry changed since then?
Bapco lies at the heart of the Bahrain economy. For 78 years it has been
the main provider of wealth to the nation. Since 1932, when oil was first
discovered on this island, the progress of Bahrain has been based largely
on the growth and development of the oil and gas industry.
As the economic base of the Kingdom diversified into the financial
services sector, aluminium smelting, petrochemicals and now tourism,
Bapco has continued to play the key role as the provider of fuel for all
energy users.
In the same way, the Company has led the way by energetically raising
standards in business planning, technical innovation, and manpower
development as well as environmental, health and safety issues.

11 Best of Bahrain
166 Best of Bahrain
Highlights of 2009
 
• Bapco receives Her Royal Highness Shaikha Sabeeka
bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa on 21 May in an inspirational visit
which highlights the Company’s environment and female
empowerment initiatives;
• The landmark US$151 million Refinery Gas Desulphurisation
Plant (RGDP) is commissioned in January, delivering major
environmental benefits;
• Bapco upstream employees are seconded to the joint venture
Tatweer Petroleum, developer of the onshore Bahrain field;
• A new shutdown technique is pioneered on the Low Sulphur
Diesel Production (LSDP) complex, resulting in reduced
downtime and cost savings;
• A 49-day Turnaround & Inspection (T&I) shutdown on a fluid
catalytic cracking unit is one of the biggest in Bapco’s history;
• A new drilling rate record is set on a Khuff gas well using
advanced directional drilling techniques;
• The Refinery Laboratory receives the Air BP Performance
Excellence Award for the outstanding quality of Jet A1 fuel test
data;
• Work begins on the US$430 million Lube Base Oil Plant (LBOP);
• 306 Bahrainis benefit from on-the-job industrial training
programmes at Bapco;
• Bapco donates US$2 million to community, social and
charitable organisations.

Tel: +973 17 704040

www.bapco.com

Best of Bahrain 12
Best of Bahrain 167
 Aluminium Bahrain
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) consistently ranks as one of the
largest and most modern aluminium smelters in the world.
Known for its technological
strength and innovative policies,
Alba enforces strict environmental
guidelines, maintains high track
record for safety, and is widely
regarded as one of the top ten
performers on a global scale.
It supports numerous
community oriented programmes
and social activities that have
underlined its status as one
of Bahrain’s leading industrial
organisations that remains
committed towards upholding its
corporate social responsibilities.
Alba’s inception marks the
beginning of Bahrain’s strategy to
diversify its economic base and
reduce its dependence on oil. The
aim was to establish an industry
that would provide valuable export
earnings, develop the country’s
resources and create training
and employment opportunities
for a large number of Bahrainis.
Alba was therefore incorporated
by Charter in 1968 and officially
commenced operations in 1971
168 Best of Bahrain
as a 120,000 tonnes per annum
smelter.
Alba intends to grow regionally
and globally to the benefit of its
shareholders by exploiting the
regional energy advantage, its
operational excellence, the regional
talent and the local customer base.
The company will continue to
expand its position as the leading
smelter in the Gulf region as well
as raising and strengthening its
profile on a global platform.
In doing so, Alba outperforms
international environmental
standards and always meets local,
regional and global regulations.
The company has been at the
vanguard of ecological concerns
and its investment in protecting
and preserving environment
exceeds $ 600 million in the past
17 years.
Alba’s material management,
casthouse maintenance &
instrumentation and marketing
were recently certified to the ISO
9001:2008 Quality Management
System standard. It has also won
the prestigious Royal Society for
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)
and the British Safety Council
Award for three consecutive years.
Customer focus is at the heart
of Alba’s operations, and provides
the key incentive for developing
new and innovative products and
services, expanding into new
marketing territories, and making
operational efficiency a key priority
for everyone at the company.
Alba today produces more than
870,000 metric tonnes per annum
of the highest grade aluminium,
with products including standard
and T-ingots, extrusion billets,
rolling slab, propertzi ingots, and
molten aluminium. Around 45
per cent of output is supplied to
Bahrain’s downstream aluminium
industry, with the rest exported
to regional and international
customers in the Middle East,
Europe, Far East, South East Asia,
Africa, and North America.
The Alba plant comprises
five reduction lines, three cast
houses, a dedicated carbon plant,
a 600,000 mtpa coke calcining
plant, a water desalination plant,
11 fume treatment plants, a
marine terminal, and a 2,200
MW power plant, consisting of
4 power stations. The plant also
features a 10 hectare ‘green’
oasis, with more than 4,000 trees
and shrubs, a fruit and vegetable
garden, and an artificial lake.
Alba’s early success
established a blueprint for other
non-oil industries to follow,
including a thriving downstream
aluminium industry. Today, Alba
is a major contributor to the
social, industrial and economic
development of the Kingdom of
Bahrain, employing over 3,000
people, of whom around 90 per Aluminium Bahrain
cent are Bahrainis. PO Box: 570, 150, King Hamad
The shareholders of Alba Highway, Askar 951
are Bahrain Mumtalakat Kingdom Of Bahrain
Holding Company, SABIC Tel: + 973 17 830 000
Investment Company and Breton Fax : + 973 17 830 083
Investments. www.aluminiumbahrain.com
Best of Bahrain 169
Chapter 10
Media, Communication & Technology

170 Best of Bahrain

Bringing ideas to life
Best of Bahrain 171
 Communication Horizons
Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco), the
leading integrated communications provider in the
Kingdom of Bahrain, is a significant force among the
region’s key telecommunications’ players. With an
ongoing strategy to grow overseas, the Batelco Group
incorporates joint venture operations in Jordan, Kuwait,
Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and India. Batelco Group
Chief Executive Peter Kaliaropoulos explains the vision,
mission and strategy underpinning his group’s success.

Batelco serves both the corporate and consumer markets in the most liberalised and competitive environment in the Middle
East and remains committed to delivering cutting edge communications to its customers in Bahrain and all the geographies
11 Best itofoperates.
in which Bahrain The Company’s management and staff are driven by an enthusiasm for delivering the best customer
172 Best of Bahrain
experience based on innovation, affordability and reliability of products and services.

Peter Kaliaropoulos, Batelco Group Chief Executive Officer
Batelco is now one of
three telecommunications
companies in Bahrain. How
has the loss of monopoly
affected business and do you
think that competition has
helped Batelco improve its
services?
Has competition helped
Batelco improve its services -
Emphatically yes! Competition
forces companies to continually
innovate and differentiate.
Consumers benefit from the
increased focus on customer
experience and development
of relationship management.
Ultimately, competition leads to an
increase in the buying power of
the consumer. Competition also
stimulates creativity within the
organisation as new perspectives
are visualised and normal modes
of operations are challenged to
“get things done better, faster,
cheaper, for the consumer and
the company.
Loss of the monopoly some
years back has also helped us.
Loss of market share is inevitable
by definition, but we have grown
our business in Bahrain because
all the telco companies have
grown the market – 1.5m mobile
customers, 90,000 broadband
customers, double the IDD
minutes and turn key solutions
for buildings and many more new
services continue to drive growth.
Competition has focused
us with some “considerable
obsession” on improving the
customer experience. We
measure service levels for various
customer segments and product
performance and we continually
improve our processes to deliver a
better quality and more consistent
experience to our customers,
especially for the high value
consumers and businesses.
What is your vision for the
Batelco group in 10 years’
time? How do you think
telecommunications has
transformed Bahrain’s profile
globally and what role do you
think Batelco has played in
this development?
Our vision is driven by our desire
to create a company of reference
in the MENA region, India and
Asia compared to our peers. Our
growth strategy is transforming
Batelco to a regional mobile,
broadband and ICT company
across 10 countries serving more
than 10 million customers by the
end of 2010. We aspire to have
80% of our revenues from our
overseas operations to ensure we
have significant diversification.
Longer term the Batelco Group
will be a key member of a regional
and global strategic alliance with
another telecommunications
company, known for its innovation
and service excellence.
Telecommunications provide
the backbone for the growth of
any economy and in Bahrain
we have witnessed massive
growth and development in
recent years. Batelco continues
to be the builder of national and
international digital highways and
knowledge hubs linking Bahrain
to our global village. We take this
responsibility seriously and with
pride – we have built and manage
significant fixed and wireless
advanced infrastructure allowing
Bahrain to showcase global
events such as the Formula 1
and linking Bahrain, the financial
“We have built and managed
significant fixed and wireless
advanced infrastructure,
allowing Bahrain to showcase
global events such as the
Formula 1 Grand Prix, in addition
to linking Bahrain, the financial
capital of the Middle East,
with global banking, insurance
and financial hubs”, Peter
Kaliaropoulos, explains.
capital of the Middle East to the
global banking, insurance and
financial hubs.
Batelco’s excellent
infrastructure is also underpinning
the Kingdom’s “Business Friendly”
drive. We have convinced many
corporate and global companies
to place their IT hubs, data centres
and call centres in Bahrain.
Companies such as BNP, DHL
and Cisco would not take the risk
if Bahrain didn’t offer world’s best
class infrastructure.
What lessons are you learning
about the best way to enter
the other geographic markets,
now that you are so integral
to telecommunications in
Bahrain?
Understand more than just the
normal statistical and historical
information about the new markets
and/or companies. We do a lot
of “homework” before and during
the transaction. Get to understand
the peculiarities of the local market
by spending time on the ground
talking to as many relevant people
as possible. Understand the
strengths of the local management
team. Understand what’s behind
the numbers and what will drive
sustainable growth. If you don’t
have a strong, local partner, you
are setting yourself up for lots of
hard work ahead of you. We listen
to internal and external advisors
but challenge them. Transfer
knowledge quickly and realise
economies of scale or revenue
synergies even quicker. Finally, if
the local management team has
hunger and passion to succeed,
back them up. If not, we do
(unfortunately) micro-manage till
the right team is in place.
Best of Bahrain 173
Batelco’s Hamala Headquarters
What are the critical
components of creating a
successful telecoms group
that gives value and creates
value too? Do you think that
this model can be successfully
implemented in countries other
than Bahrain?
Three things really:
Clarity about the way forward. For
example, our “Expand 2010” was
an easily understood strategic
orientation to drive profitable scale
by delivering value and innovation
to customers irrespective of where
we do business
Obsession with operational
excellence driven from the
customer experience perspective.
Set goals, measure, improve, raise
the bar and start all over again.
174 Best of Bahrain
Pick the best leaders you can
afford who share the need for
success and growth and are
passionate about leading and
developing other people and
continually challenging and
improving what we do.
As the Group grows, attention
needs to be given to any “silo”
or “tribal” behaviours. The Group
needs to learn from examples of
brilliant in-country initiatives and
share them with other operations,
whilst in-country operators need to
ensure they don’t suffer from any
“not invented here” symptoms.
How does Batelco work to
continually deliver the most
up to date technological
advancements and how
integral do you consider
this to be to the continued
development of Bahrain?
We invest significantly to ensure
we continually deliver the
most up to date products and
services. Investment in emerging
technologies is naturally a key
component in the development of
the Kingdom of Bahrain. With our
Next Generation Network project
complete, we are in a position to
roll out advanced products and
services that will change the face
of telecommunications in Bahrain
and further serve to enhance the
Kingdom’s development. We have
also invested in Kingdom-wide
3.5G wireless HSDPA technology,
fixed ADSL2+ and many other
technologies. Technological
innovation is important and a
key differentiator for Batelco and
Bahrain. However, what is more
critical is the translation of such
technology to products and
services that allow businesses
to increase their productivity and
competitive advantage.
From a consumer standpoint,
what is Batelco’s true value
proposition, or is it merely
a matter of which telecoms
operator wins the brand
building and advertising race
in order to win market-share?
Batelco’s proposition is “back-
to-basics”. Deliver consistently,
deliver value, deliver innovation,
be responsive to customer
needs and lead in product/
service development. Branding
and advertising are important
and relevant to customers. Our
new re-branding campaign in
Bahrain has proved to be very
popular with customers and
employees. However, all our
people and processes need to
deliver the brand promises day
after day otherwise customers will
see through the gimmicks and
promises versus the substance.
With massive and sustained
investment in diverse spheres
an integral part of Batelco’s
strategy for growth, what
innovative means of financing
have you gone in for, and with
what success?
In April 2007, Batelco signed an
agreement with a consortium of
regional and international banks
to secure a loan of US$485 million
to fund the Company’s regional
expansion. The last payment for
this loan is in April 2010. Today,
we have a strong balance sheet
and operating cash flows. We can
raise debt of around $1.5 billion
should the opportunity arise. We
will explore all options, debt and
equity, conventional and Islamic
products should we require to
fund a major acquisition.
The establishment of Batelco
and its increasing success
is helping to put Bahrain on
the global telecoms map,
positioning it as a force to be
reckoned with. How is this
progress being fostered in
an increasingly competitive
environment where consumer
loyalty is based on familiarity
and not necessarily cutting
edge offerings.
Local familiarity is important to
our strategy. In all markets we
operate we now have a local
brand – Sabafon in Yemen,
Umniah in Jordan, QualityNet in
Kuwait, etc. Whilst we have the
industrial strength of the Group of
companies and enjoy synergies,
we clearly differentiate via our
local brands to be more relevant
to the local based consumer
clients rather than a monolithic
brand and be perceived as a
foreign company in emerging
markets.
What further innovation can
be expected from Batelco in
the medium term?
Our marketing and product
development teams are always
delivering new services. For
competitive reasons we can’t be
too explicit now, especially with
Saudi Telecom just launching
their services in Bahrain.
However, in Bahrain expect
convergent solutions based
on our fixed and wireless NGN
infrastructure, expect higher
speed broadband services
to consumers, new content
delivered over wireless and fixed
IP services, SLAs to business
customers and innovation on
service management processes.
In other markets it is about
delivering mobile and broadband
services to youth segments and
increasing the penetration for
such services.
Outline your CSR programme
and how integral is this to the
success of the company?
At Batelco Bahrain and across
other companies we have invested
in, we understand that we are an
integral part of the community in
which we operate and as such our
Corporate Social Responsibility
programme is an inherent part
of our daily lives. We take this
responsibility very seriously and
believe our sponsorship and
donation strategy helps us to
be more familiar with the local
communities and contribute to
their development whilst preserving
and growing shareholder
value. During 2009, In Bahrain,
for example, we committed
approximately BD4 million to a
variety of causes and this year we
continue to extend our support to
a wide range of health, education,
cultural and sports initiatives. Our
contributions in 2009 included
BD200,000 to the Shaikh
Mohammed Bin Khalifa Bin Salman
Cardiac Centre, to enhance the
medical care and services for
cardiac patients, BD100,000 in
support of Palestinians in Gaza
and BD200,000 to the Crown
Prince Scholarship Fund to
support the 3rd level education
of some of Bahrain’s brightest
students at overseas universities.
Batelco has invested US$1.4 billion in Bahrain’s telecom infrastructure since 1981, including
significant investment in NGN (Next Generation Networks) infrastructure which has reinforced
www.batelco.com the Kingdom’s position as a leading communications hub.

Batelco offers complete, end-to-end telecommunications solutions for its residential,

business and government customers. The comprehensive solutions portfolio covers
mobile services, international roaming, Broadband Internet, satellite services, WiFi,
and MPLS IP-VPN based network services utilising our Next Generation all IP Network
providing Datacoms services over fixed and wireless platforms in addition to managed
services including systems integration and management.

Best of Bahrain 12
Best of Bahrain 175
 A full service integrated communications agency
with a difference, providing outstanding creative
solutions and inspiring communications to high
profile organizations in Bahrain and beyond.

Miracle’s clients include:

Established in 1993, Miracle offers a broad
range of professional communications services
from brand development to publishing through
to digital and print media production. Over the
past fifteen years the organization has grown
into a major entity across all media touch
points within Bahrain and the GCC. “Miracle
has developed a reputation as a strategic
and innovative solutions provider for modern,
complex and evolving businesses, which helps
them to meet and exceed their communications
requirements,” commented founder and CEO
Khalid Juman. Its client base reads like a Who’s
Who list of Bahrain, having worked with brands
such as NBB, menatelecom, Inovest, Durrat
Al Bahrain and the Economic Development
Board. International brands have also received
the Miracle treatment, including Toyota, Virgin,
BlackBerry and H & M.
Combine this with a long history and finely
tuned expertise in brand identity design,
advertising and client side marketing and the
result is a fully rounded body of professionals
and services.
Another secret of Miracle’s success lies in
its deep rooted black and white philosophy.
The essence of this philosophy is that open,
honest and direct relationships lead to well-
informed, accurate results. This understanding
enables Miracle to design outstanding creative
solutions and inspiring communications that
are positive, defined, sensitive and targeted.
It’s a philosophy that not only applies to client
relationships, it is also adopted successfully
across Miracle internally where clearly defined
roles and established working practices pave
the way for fully coordinated production
strategies.
This carefully planned, creative and
professional approach has resulted in a large
number of successful campaigns and very
satisfied customers across the board. Miracle is
made up of three main divisions; BRANDING,
PUBLISHING and PRINTS, which work
together to provide a fully integrated offering.
The brand communications division,
Miracle BRANDING, produces some of the
most inspirational creative work in the Middle
East. The dedicated BRANDING team work
with existing and new brands to deliver and
strengthen their messaging across all touch

176 Best of Bahrain

points. From through-the-line advertising
campaigns to digital media, collateral, annual
reports, promotions and exhibitions, Miracle
BRANDING will make sure the brand works
anywhere it is expressed.
As a leading book publisher in Bahrain,
Miracle PUBLISHING specializes in high
quality publications. Each publication, whether
coffee table book, magazine or exhibition,
is approached with diligent attention to
management and detail. Capturing Bahrain’s
colour, diversity and enviable social fabric has
been PUBLISHING’s raison d’être for many
years now. Its most recent offering is the
extremely successful DURRAH magazine, a Durrah Magazine
quarterly, high quality lifestyle magazine for One of Miracle’s prestigious
Bahrain and the Middle East. quarterly publications.

Best of Bahrain 177

Another prominent force in the communications
market is Miracle PRINTS, Miracle’s large
format digital printing facility. Guaranteeing high
quality imagery for advertising, presentation,
building wraps, signage and fleet graphics,
they deal with all printing requirements from
photographic quality mounted prints to
printing on glass and metal. Fast, flexible and
economic, Miracle PRINTS brings the brand to
the target audience with dramatic results.
Bahrain has always been at the forefront of
the media and publishing industry in the GCC,
and is a competitive and fast moving market
place. Miracle has always been a pioneer in this
vein, being the first to introduce the industry to
high-spec technology, most notably with design
interface tools, with large format printing, and
also with Miracle’s Digi-Smart Digital Asset
Management system. But simply introducing
178 Best of Bahrain
the technology is not enough in an emerging
market, education on the benefits of such
innovations and developments is key and this
is where Miracle steps up to the mark. Through
a carefully planned structured process and
its open and honest approach with its clients,
they have managed to maintain the position of
being the pioneer in creativity and innovation in
Bahrain.
But how does Miracle cope when a client
doesn’t agree with Miracle’s creative, innovative
vision for its brand or communications needs?
“We believe that the service we provide should
follow a detailed process of education,”
commented CEO, Khalid Juman “In a sense
we build a case for the direction or strategy
we recommend and the brand or piece of
communication should follow. At the end of
the day, it’s a give and take process. We learn
as much as we can about the client and align
ourselves with their needs in order to provide
them with the best solution possible. Often we
must meet them half way, they do have the final
say after all, but our track record for turning
around and/or developing revolutionary new
brands has been very impressive”.
One such example that stands out for
Mr. Juman is the design and development of
Bahrain’s ‘Spring of Culture’ event brand and
collateral. The patron of the event, HE Shaikha
Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, asked Miracle
to create a timeless brand with longevity
that would last and withstand change as the
brand and event evolved. All of the campaign
collateral also had to be developed for the first
annual event. The timing to come up with an
innovative solution was extremely tight, but a
motivated Miracle team worked against the
clock to come up with a brand that the event
still uses today 5 years on. A brand that has
become the most successful and renowned
events brand in the Kingdom of Bahrain. At
the time of printing this article, Miracle has just
delivered the eye catching and lively collateral
and advertising for the Spring of Culture event
2010.
Miracle has continued to evolve over the
years into one of the most well-established
and recognized integrated communications
agencies in Bahrain. However, the recent global
crisis has not left the media industry unscathed
and has made clients’ deadlines tighter and
budgets smaller, making the understanding
of clients needs even more crucial. Miracle
has dealt with the downturn by restructuring
and becoming more efficient and providing a
more focused and personalized service, while
reinvigorating its recruitment drive to bring the Our Clients Include:
most talented individuals in the industry on National Bank of Bahrain; Menatelecom;
board. “We are confident about the future” Economic Development Board; Durrat Al
commented Miracle Deputy CEO, Bernard Bahrain; Durrat Marina; Royal Arabian; Toyota;
Guly, “The secret is not to rest on our laurels Lexus; BlackBerry; Kuwait Finance House;
but to always strive to do the best we can and Royal Court of Bahrain; Ministry of Information
continue to provide innovative solutions and and Culture; Bahrain National Museum.
superior customer service. It’s simple to grow
in a sustainable way if you are confident in your
skill set and in what you can achieve”. Future
plans for Miracle are positive and promising,
“we will continue to grow, innovate and expand
in a disciplined way and move into areas
that complement our core business of brand
communications’’ says Mr. Guly. With this
focused strategy and positive outlook, Miracle
has continued to be a strong and leading
contender in this competitive industry and Tel: +973 77 022 222
clearly has a lot to look forward to in the future. www.miracle.com.bh
Best of Bahrain 179
 www.TradeArabia.com

Trade Arabia is a Bahrain-based online business news

and information portal covering various trade and
industry sectors in the Gulf Region, Middle East and
the Levant.
Founded in 1999, it has been online for more than
9 years delivering business information and trade news
updates to millions of online readers worldwide. Trade
Arabia’s content is also being syndicated by various
news organizations in the Middle East, Europe, Asia
and the United States.
With a Google Page Rank of 7/10, the portal is
organized into news channels, market trends, business
directory and calendar of events, which is being
accessed by millions of visitors per month.

180 Best of Bahrain

The portal also includes a network
of publication websites such as
Gulf Daily News, Akhbar Alkhaleej,
Gulf Weekly, Travel and Tourism
Middle East, Gulf Construction,
Gulf Industry, Middle East Interiors,
The Gulf, Oil and Gas News and
a number of industry events and
exhibition websites.
The winner of Bahrain 2009
eContent Award (eMedia Category),
the portal is being visited by more
than 3.2 million visitors per month
and its pages/sections/news/

Best of Bahrain 181

 The Bahrain eContent Award 2009 Organising Committee would like to thank
H.E. Sh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa
Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information
and Communication Technology
for his patronage of the event and attending the award ceremony.

Congratulations
to the winners of the Bahrain eContent Award 2009

e-Government e-Media
• Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) • Akhbar Al Khaleej
• Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MOIC) • TRADE ARABIA
• Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) • Al Wasat

e-Health Special Mentions

• Manama Gate
• International Hospital of Bahrain
• Al Waqt
• Ministry of Health

e-Inclusion e-Entertainment
• Batelco "O" Portal
• Women Gateway
• Tarbya Net
Special Mentions
• Ministry of Interior - Traffic Kids
• Adhari Park
e-Science
e-Learning
• Bahrain Center for Studies &
• Ministry of Education - Multimedia Enrichment
Research (BCSR)
• Teacher Anwar
e-Business • Arab Open University
• Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard
Special Mentions
Company (ASRY) • Science for 6th Grade
• Riffa Views • Wasmia
• Global Tourism Club
e-Culture
Special Mentions
• Moda Mall • Jehat Al Shi’r
• Folk Culture of Bahrain
e-Banking • Arabic Culture Café
• Bank of Bahrain & Kuwait (BBK)
• Bank Muscat International (BMI)

business directory are generating
more than 15 million page
views per month based on the
site’s December 2009 statistics
generated by WebTrends web
server measurement and analysis.
Some of Trade Arabia’s major
advertisers include General Electric,
Gulf Air, Emirates Airlines, American
Express, Visa, Mercedes-Benz,
Riffa Views, Emaar Properties,
Tamdeen, CNBC to name a few.
www.TradeArabia.com has also
been optimized to be accessed via
smart phones as it tries to ensure
visitors a consistent and optimized
experience on their mobile device.
Services
Trade Arabia portal offers a wide-
range of Middle East business-
related online services such as:
e-Newsletters and EDMs
Trade Arabia sends a daily
e-newsletter to subscribers in the
Middle East, Levant and the world.
The portal also sends EDMs for
various clients to industry specific
and geo-targeted audience.
Directory
Trade Arabia’s directory of
companies covering contact
and activity details of more than
500,000 companies from the GCC
and the Middle East, China, East
Asia, Europe and the United States.
Events calendar
Trade Arabia’s searchable events
database holds information on
current and upcoming events in
the Middle East, from exhibitions,
forums, seminars and conferences.
Online Banner Ads
Trade Arabia’s online banner
advertising is one of the greatest
sources of traffic that can be used
in an organization’s niche market.
Trade Arabia Web Services Division
• Domain Registration
• Custom Web Design
• Website Development
• Database Driven Web Sites
• Custom Web Applications
• Search Engine Optimization
• E-commerce Websites
• Dedicated / Shared Hosting
• Website Maintenance
• Banner Advertisements
• Email Direct Marketing
The Trade Arabia Network and
Online Services Director Rana
Lababidi talks about Trade
Arabia and the future of internet
and online news:
With much of the print media
and television channels going
online, how does Trade Arabia
position itself at the forefront
to attract maximum ‘clicks’ or
‘hits’?

182 Best of Bahrain

Trade Arabia carries business
news a nd trade information on
GCC and MENA. The portal also
carries world news including
technology and economy.
To attract maximum visits on a
daily basis, news is being updated
on an hourly basis which print and
television media cannot duplicate.
Several countries in the GCC
region vie to become the
ideal centre for conducting
business. How does Trade
Arabia help Bahrain retain
and maximise its position
regionally?
Since the editorial and technical
components of the portal is
headquartered in Bahrain,
important news that promotes
Bahrain as GCC’s business hub to
the region and the world, is being
given detailed emphasis by the
portal.
While Trade Arabia reaches a
wide section of readers from
worldwide, in which region
is the maximum number of
readers based?
Trade Arabia’s large number of
visitors is coming from the United
States and the Levant, particularly
the GCC. However, we have
noticed that visits from the Indian
Sub-continent and China are on
the increase.
As a gatekeeper, how do you
ensure that the content on
the portal is factual and also
interesting? What kind of
stringent standards have you
set for yourself and the editorial
team to maintain the integrity of
the content?
Trade Arabia with its own editorial
department is also getting support
from other Al Hilal Group member
publications such as Gulf Daily
News, Akhbar Alkhaleej, Gulf
Weekly and The Gulf that are
known for their editorial integrity
and honesty.
These journalistic standards
have also been set by Trade Arabia
editorial department.
As always in the news
business, content is double
checked and sources
confirmed before uploading
them online.
What recognition has Trade
Arabia received so far in the
industry?
Trade Arabia received the 2009
Bahrain e-Content Award for
e-Media Category
Your business depends
largely upon IT
infrastructure. How does
Bahrain fare in terms of
online set-up and services?
Bahrain fares fairly well when
it comes to IT infrastructure,
however, internet connectivity/
carriers must be continuously
improved for the Kingdom to
compete with the big leaguers
such as the U.S., India and
other countries of Asia with
well developed internet
facilities.
In the face of severe
competition from other
publishers, what challenges
do you face in retaining
your readers and driving
traffic upwards? What kind
of data do you have on the
user’s profile?
The challenges of retaining
viewership lie on the upload
of fresh news and other
business information. In
addition our daily Search
Engine Optimization efforts
- various search engines have
been updating their source
applications and algorithms
without informing the online
publishers and netizens or
internet users.
How does the future of
online news appear for the
next five years?
In five years, we envision online
usage and news readership to
increase dramatically as IT and
mobile infrastructure particularly
in the Middle East becomes
more mature coupled with the
propagation of IT education at
the grassroots’ level.
Tel: + 973 17293131
adsonline@tradearabia.net
www.tradearabia.com
Best of Bahrain 183
 Emerging Digital Agency
4Spots Key Professional Team
How has the environment changed in your
field since you first started business?
When we first started out, Online media was
not at it’s peak in the country. Many of our
clients then needed reassurances about
investing in online media as websites were
not given much importance. Competitive
rates for Internet services were not offered
either which did not help the development
of the industry. However as time went by
companies in the region began to see the
benefits of online media. Today there is a
healthy growth in the industry, companies are
getting returns from their online investment.
Websites are treated as important for a better
brand perception.
Internet is growing at a rapid rate
especially in Bahrain , nearly about 420,000
internet users are active in comparison
to mere 40,000 in 2000. This has given
something for the Bahrain corporates to think
about and the growth is a reflection of that.
Can you briefly describe the new trends
in website design and how a more
sophisticated interface can realistically
add value to your clients in terms of their
bottom lines?
Beside content , a website heavily relies
over user experience , which generates
perception about the company or product
it is representing. Business analysis and
184 Best of Bahrain
Information architecture plays a key role in
developing a website which is targeted to its
audience.
A well-developed website always meets
the target audience’s expectation and
generates returns for your investment.If you
ask me frankly , any site which provides good
ROI to our client is bound to be in our good
books , however it is important to keep your
website trendy which gives unique experience
to the user.
Present trends like full screen websites,
print like design elements and unique
navigation allow for a better depth of
penetration and an increase in positive
perceptions.
You provide various professional web
services and solutions. Which area is most
financially rewarding?
Costing models can be fairly tricky for
agencies as it is rather difficult to put a price
on creativity. This is partially a reason for such
a difference in pricing between agencies.
Here at 4SPOTS we follow a resource
utilisation model, which essentially means that
various services are irrelevant because every
project requires a specific set of resources.
The utilisation of these resources determines
the cost. This is also another reason we
are able to provide our services to potential
clients at a very reasonable rate.
Do you outsource any part of your
services? If so, to where?
Over the years we have developed certain
procedures of development and determined
what works for our client and what does
not. It is very difficult for someone not part
of the team to understand these procedures
easily. Hence we do not prefer to outsource
our important services , however certain
services e.g Hosting, requires specialisation.
Hence we have business partners as we
feel it is more feasible for us to leave it to
specialists for those particular services.
Throughout your years of operation, what
challenges have you faced in delivering
excellence and creativity to your clients?
Bringing ourselves to par with strong
international agencies in other markets such
as the west was a challenging aspect of
our work. In order to achieve this we have
constantly forced ourselves to keep our
finger on the pulse of the industry. From
a development perspective, we have had
to constantly update our work with newer
browser standards for example and the
changing face of the internet.
From a design perspective however, we
have always had to push harder, research
and understand the client’s perception of
the brand. In addition to this we have to
filter through various elements of brand

guidelines to achieve the most
visually appealing product. At
the end of each day, we make
sure that any work that crosses
our desks is ground breaking
with regards to both technology
and design.
What type of website design
is most popular amongst
your clients? How long is the
design process?
Full screen designs or sites with
liquid resolution features like
those used for Portamoda, are
quite popular with some of our
clients. Innovative navigation
like the one we created for
Majaal (www.Majaal.com) and
GBCorp (www.gbcorponline.
com) is something that brings a
fresh user experience. Print-
alike designs are back !.Though
we love to design graphics
intensive sites, it is important
not to get carried away and
stick to the brand guideline
and requirement of the client
and design accordingly.
Each design process varies
depending on the requirements
of the client.
Once the website is designed
what specific after sales
services do you provide?
Once the project is completed,
we then work closely with the
client in monitoring the site,
analysing activity within the
site and recommending further
additions to the site in terms
of content and features. We
also take responsibility for the
management of the website
through a retainer which reduces
the load on the client in keeping
the site upto date.
Given the current global
volatility, have you faced
financial constraints from
your clients in terms of the
production value of your
websites?
Oddly enough we have not yet
faced any real change in the
market as many of our clients
have not reduced their online
budgets. It is important for
companies to step up their
communication strategy during
the recession and we are quite
happy that many of our clients
have realised this and are
pushing full steam ahead with
our recommendations.
How do you see Bahrain
developing in terms of the
regional online media industry?
Adoption of new trends is natural
in the Kingdom. Bahrainis stand
out as technophiles and this is
what makes it so exciting to be
here. The infrastructure within the
country is improving and with the
influx of talented and qualified
professionals I don’t see any
reason why Bahrain shouldn’t
take the place of being at the
forefront of the online media
sector in the region.
Are there any plans for
expansion of the services you
provide? If so when, what and
why?
We are actively looking into SAAS
(Software as a Service) and will
be investing in more portals in
the future.
Srusti Ranjan
How do you see yourself in
the Middle Eastern Online
media Industry? What future
contributions do you hope to
provide?
We are growing quite fast
in Bahrain and are now
expanding our client base
across the Middle East.
This is largely due to the
levels of satisfaction of
our clients and our focus
on quick turnarounds and
quality offering. We hope to
contribute to the industry by
increasing the focus on quality
and creativity.
With such a vast and cost
effective pool of Web
professionals at hand in
India, are plans for regional
expansion realistic?
While it is cost effective to
outsource a lot of work to
India, I think a company has to
decide between agencies that
understand the region and
agencies that do not.
Also most part of the
website development
requires person to person
interaction and understanding
of client’s requirement and
the brand perception of the
team towards the same ,
hence I would think regional
expansion is realistic.
In what specific ways are
you extending your brand
in order to capitalise on the
current New Media craze that
has taken the shape of social
networking platforms?
In a recession based economy;
organizations realize the value
of accountable digital media. As
a digital agency, we’re ready to
provide unique solutions.
We’re looking beyond
corporate websites. With the
onset of social media, people
influence other people. 85%
will make a point of telling other
people about a product that
impresses them. The fact that
they pass on your message
and influence others multiplies
your message and makes your
money work harder for you.
Bahrain has a strong internet
penetration but the area that is
growing within the digital market
is the mobile industry with over
130% penetration and so it is
only right for us over 2010 to
extend our services into social
media and the mobile market.
We have been responsible for a
few very successful social media
campaigns. For example, we are
responsible for creating one of
the fastest growing Facebook
page in Bahrain for a retail client.
www.4SPOTS.com
Best of Bahrain 185
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186 Best of Bahrain

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Best of Bahrain 187

 Participators
Index

4 Spots 184
Al Baraka Banking Group 160
Ali Sharaf Photography 104
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) 168
Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) 74
Bahrain House of Photography 102
Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) 68
Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW) 146
Bahrain Polytechnic 126
Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) 172
Banyan Tree Spa Al Areen 114
Café Italia 60
Dilmunia at Bahrain (Ithmaar Development Co.) 136
Diyar Al Muharraq 140, IBC
Durrat Al Bahrain 36, 144
Economic Development Board (EDB) 4, 32
Gulf Air 34, 72
Hotel Banyan Tree Al Areen 52
Ithmaar Bank 1, 3, IFC
Khalifa Shaheen Digital Images (KSDi) 100
L’ Hotel 48
Memories of China 58
Migrant Workers Protection Society (MWPS) 128
Miracle 176
Muharraqi Studios 38, 96
Porsche Design 40
Rashid Al Oraifi 90
Señor Paco’s 62
Solidarity Group 1
The Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) 166
The Court of HRH The Prime Minister 12
The Crown Prince’s International Scholarship Program (CPISP) 120
The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa 44
The Royal Charity Organization 124
Trade Arabia 180

Photography Credits Promotion Credits

Abdulla M. Al-Khan - www.bahrainhouse.com 4 Spots
Abdulla M. Khan of Bahrain House of Photography Bahrain Art Society - www.bahartsociety.org.bh
Ali Sharaf - www.alisharaf.com Bahrain Polytechnic - www.polytechnic.bh
Bahrain Airport Company - www.bac.bh Bougi - www.bougilife.blogspot.com
Bahrain Exhibitions & Convention Authority (BECA) - Hotel Banyan Tree Al Areen -
www.beca.bh www.banyantree.com/en/alareen/
Haifa Hassan - haifa.yaseen@gmail.com Jashanmal Books Division - www.jashanmals.com
Hanan Hassan Al Khalifa - hananhassanali@yahoo.com L’Hotel - www.lhotelbahrain.com
Hasan Al Khunaizi - hasan-alkhunaizi@hotmail.com Middle East Media (MEM)
Khada Khunji - www.ghadakhunji.com Ministry of Culture & Information - www.moci.gov.bh/en/
Khalid Al Muharraqi - www.muharraqi-studios.com Miracle - www.miraclegraphics.com
Khalifa Shaheen - www.ksdibahrain.com Mr. Karim - La Ventana Restaurant - Adliya, Bahrain
M. Salman - kookiee@gmail.com Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa - www.ritzcarlton.com
Mazen Al Maskati - contactmzn@gmail.com The Economic Development Board (EDB) - www.
Toufic Beyhum - www.touficbeyhum.com bahrainedb.com
Weal Yousif Ahmed - weal.ahmed@gulfair.com
http://photos.bna.bh/ Market Essential Downloads
The Economic Development Board
Bahrain Talent Contributors
Baraa Abdulla - baraa.abdulla@qafza3d.com -
www.qafza3d.com
Danny Lawless - lawlessdesigns@hotmail.com
Elgin Vandewiele - elginm@gmail.com
Faika Al Hassan - alhasanf@hotmail.com
Ghada Khunji - www.ghadakhunji.com
Jose Romualdo “Rom” B. Cumagun -
romcumagun@yahoo.com
BEST OF
bahrain
Latifa Al Shakar - alshakar@gmail.com
Moosa Silwadi - www.knotconstruction@gmail.com
Rana Tabbara Photography - rskaini@gmail.com
Sowsan Hassan - sowsanwest@hotmail.com

188 Best of Bahrain