Tag Archives: Bahrain

The embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Bahrain announced that its citizens can return to the Kingdom via the King Fahd Causeway without prior permission, as of Thursday July 23, 2020. Saudi citizens who wish to return to Saudi Arabia should comply with the precautionary measures in force in the Kingdom. The reopening of the causeway comes as Bahrain and Saudi ease COVID-19 restrictions. The 25km-long causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain is instrumental to economic and tourism activities in both countries. Last year Bahrain received a total of 11.1 million visitors, with 88% are coming through the King Fahad causeway, accounting for 9.7 million visitors

The German National Tourist Office-Gulf countries (GNTO) hosted a B2B travel trade networking lunch in the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with Lufthansa Airlines. The aim of GNTO’s series of B2B events is to promote Germany as a year-round travel destination and to highlight the latest tourism attractions for the year 2020. The event was attended by the German Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain His Excellency Kai Boeckmann together with selected Bahraini travel trade professionals, key opinion leaders, and media. His Excellency Kai Boeckmann said, “Diversity is a key element that Germany offers and I’m delighted to invite Bahraini tourists to visit my homeland to enjoy a memorable visit.” Mark Pey, General Manager Sales, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain & Yemen, Lufthansa Group said, “Today’s networking event has been one of huge importance to us, year on year we’re seeing an increase in Bahraini nationals visiting Germany and choosing Lufthansa as their airline of choice. Lufthansa first started operating to Germany from Bahrain on April 2, 1985, and is proud to continue connecting the countries by offering customers premium products and services.” Nicole Zaspel, Sales & Marketing Manager for the Gulf countries at GNTO, an affiliate of the German National Tourist Board (GNTB) shared, “The GCC market, is the third-largest non-European source market behind China and the United States and is very important to us. We’ve seen incredible growth with 1.8 million overnight stays by GCC nationals in 2018 compared to 7,70,000 overnight stays in 2009, which demonstrates that the annual number of overnight stays has grown by 130% over the past decade.”

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Dubai & Middle East Office in partnership with Royal Thai Embassy in Manama, Bahrain and The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain and Gulf Air will launch the Thai Festival 2019 on March 26 at The Gulf Hotel, Bahrain. The EATHAI VISITHAI 2019 promotion will run from March 26 to April 25, 2019 and will see the city come to life as people celebrate Thai culture and cuisine with incredible discounts on offer at 13 of Bahrain’s finest dining establishments. The participating venues will showcase their appetizing special Thai dishes with tasting and a live cooking show at the exclusive launch event on March 26. These include The BF Food Bahrain, Shada Restaurant, Tom Yum Kung Restaurant, Honey Restaurant, Monsoon Restaurant, Royal Thai-Gulf Hotel Bahrain, Wang Thai Restaurant, Thong Eak Restaurant, Som Tum Thai Restaurant, Thai Seafood Restaurant, Wok This Way Restaurant, Top Thai Restaurant and Ayothaya Restaurant. H E Thanis Na Songkhla, Ambassador, Royal Thai Embassy Manama, Bahrain, said, “We are thrilled to bring The Thai Festival 2019 to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Thai food is incredibly popular in the region and we are excited to showcase it further at this exciting festival.” Pichaya Saisaengchan, Director, Tourism Authority of Thailand Dubai & Middle East Office, added, “The Thai Festival has been an ongoing success in the Kingdom of Bahrain and we’re excited to see it return for another edition. It’s an incredible way to showcase our world-renowned cuisine and guests will be able to avail incredible discounts and win fabulous prizes.”

The Higher Organising Committee of IWAS World Games Sharjah 2019 confirmed that 1,462 participants from 50 countries are set to compete in the world’s largest wheelchair and amputee sports championship in Sharjah from February 10-16. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, the IWAS World Games has returned to the emirate for the second time after its successful debut in the city in 2011. The eighth edition of the world championship brings together seven games including archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. New details of the upcoming biennial sports championship were revealed at a press conference held recently at Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa. Global athletes landing in Sharjah over the next few days are set to represent 50 competing nations confirmed by the Higher Organising Committee which include the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Russia, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Pakistan, Norway, Kenya, Latvia, Macau, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, France, Georgia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus and Comoros.

As a result of the efforts by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) to promote the Kingdom of Bahrain as a destination for weddings and other happy occasions, the Kingdom of Bahrain hosted an Indian wedding of the son of Indian businessman, Sushil Mantri, from Bengaluru, from December 15 to December 17 2018, at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. The event attracted more than 800 guests who travelled on Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, from various Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai, and from other parts of the world. The three-day wedding included a series of activities, the first of which was the arrival of the bride and groom in a traditional Bahraini environment and means of transportation; the groom arrived on a purebred Arabian horse accompanied by traditional Indian music and dancers, while the bride arrived to the scene of the wedding onboard a traditional boat at Bahrain Bay. After the ceremony, Bahrain’s skyline was adorned with a display of fireworks to celebrate the wedding and the Kingdom’s national holiday, commemorating the joy of both glorious occasions. On the second day of the celebrations, the guests were invited to a traditional Souk (bazaar) that was hosted at the Hotel’s large halls, allowing guests to witness traditional Bahraini craftsmen at work, manufacturing beautifully-crafted products made of gold and pearls, traditional women’s and men’s clothing; and enjoy traditional sweets and beverages that were presented. To conclude the third and final day, a special social and sports programme was organised at Bahrain International Circuit to enjoy karting as a final farewell. Commenting on this occasion, Dr Ali Hasan Follad, Adviser, BTEA, said, “BTEA has played a pivotal role …

Tens of thousands of visitors have visited the National Festival of Heritage and Culture, the 33rd edition of Janadria, organised by the Ministry of National Guard under the slogan ‘Faithfulness and Loyalty.’ The heritage village at the festival as well as the shows of the folk groups from various regions of Saudi Arabia and some Arabian Gulf countries are popular and have become a milestone in the most beautiful elements of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Janadria is the largest cultural festival in Saudi Arabia and the largest event of its kind in the world that is being held for 21 days during the period from December 20, 2018 to January 9, 2019 as part of efforts to intensify attention to the Saudi heritage and regional and international visibility. In addition, it promotes a dialogue of cultures and civilisations between nations and people. The heritage village at Janadria is attracting thousands of families from different age groups, in addition to the artisans who are present throughout the festival area, especially in the folk market. The National Festival of Heritage and Culture offers heritage lovers a unique application which includes a complete definition of the Janadria Festival, a map of the stands and elements of the festival, activities and updated news about the festival on a daily basis. The folk groups programme is one of the most important pillars of the festival and there are more than 700 people that reflect the folk heritage, customs and traditions of all regions of Saudi Arabia and the GCC countries of the UAE, Bahrain and Oman.

The Italian Embassy in Bahrain has opened a new visa application centre in Manama in partnership with VFS Global. In a joint statement, VFS Global and the Embassy said the new centre will provide greater seamlessness to visa application processing and resident visa applicants in Bahrain need not submit their Schengen visa applications at the Embassy. The visa application centre run by well-trained professionals will provide secure processing of entry permit requirements in a friendly ambience. Applicants can also opt for the comfort and privacy of a premium lounge. Inaugurating the visa application centre, HE Domenico Bellato, Ambassador of Italy to the Kingdom of Bahrain, said, “We are pleased to start a new chapter of cooperation with VFS Global, providing a state-of-the-art service in collecting applications for short-stay visas for travel to Italy and Malta as their main destinations in the Schengen area. We are confident that the new visa application centre will further increase the number of Bahraini citizens and residents in choosing Italy as their destination for tourism and business.” Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group COO – Middle East, South Asia & China, VFS Global, said, “The Italian mandate to VFS Global follows a 14-year old relationship with the client government and it is our commitment to provide efficient, secure and convenient visa application services to the residents of Bahrain travelling to Italy and/or Malta as their main destinations in the Schengen area.”

Effective December 15, 2018 to January 13, 2019, Etihad Airways will increase its frequency from Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow, from three to four daily services, to meet peak demand in the festive season. The flights will be operated by a two-class Boeing 787-9 featuring 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart seats. James Harrison, General Manager for Etihad Airways in the United Kingdom and Ireland, said: “We are thrilled to announce more flights to London over the festive period. This is a busy time for local guests travelling between both capitals and the extra service will allow more choice and flexibility in their travel.” In addition to the seasonal increase of service to London, Etihad Airways has also recently announced seasonal frequency increases and aircraft upgrades on a number of key routes to meet increased demand over the peak winter period. This includes additional capacity to Bahrain, Belgrade, Cairo, Istanbul, Medina and Kuwait.

The Merchant House in Manama, Bahrain, is set to open doors in September this year. Located next to the vibrant Bab el-Bahrain Souk, the hotel development comes at an exciting time as the surrounding area is currently being regenerated, re-establishing the prominence of the old Souk and original heart of Manama. The Merchant House will be an all-suite boutique hotel with 47 suites in total, each featuring an open plan kitchen and dining area, as well as open plan sitting rooms which have been designed to be ideal for both business and leisure. As with all Campbell Gray Hotels, artwork will be a prominent feature of the interior design and Gordon Campbell Gray has, over the past year, been putting together an exciting art collection comprising of well-established Bahraini artists as well as new and upcoming young talent from both Bahrain and the region. The design is, as with all Campbell Gray Hotels, completely original and has been created specifically for The Merchant House. The rooftop – another Campbell Gray speciality – is where you will find the main restaurant and the bar with options to eat indoors or outdoors. Commenting on the project, Gordon Campbell Gray, Founder, Campbell Gray Hotels said, “We are so looking forward to bringing our special brand of hospitality to Bahrain this year with the opening of The Merchant House in Manama. We are confident that with its central location, beautiful facilities and comfortable all-suite accommodation, it will be rather special, and we are eager to welcome our first guests through the door.”

StayWell Holdings announced the expansion of its Park Regis brand into Bahrain with the opening of the country’s first Park Regis hotel in the city of Manama (Juffair). Centrally located in Bahrain’s capital of Manama, Park Regis Lotus Hotel has easy access to the diplomatic area and Bahrain Bay in Manama. The 19-storey hotel offers 164 luxuriously appointed guest rooms, an onsite fitness centre with 24-hour gymnasium and lap pool, and state-of-the-art business facilities. With entertainment front of mind, Park Regis Lotus Hotel boasts an array of premium onsite restaurant and bar options including buffet breakfast and casual dining, a patisserie and tearoom, and a roof top café. Simon Wan, President & Director, StayWell Holdings, said, “Alongside our parent company, Prince Hotels & Resorts, StayWell Holdings is in the midst of an exciting rapid development programme with plans to expand both brands internationally, with a current focus on the Middle East. Opening the Park Regis Lotus Hotel in Bahrain is an exciting achievement for StayWell to further cement its Park Regis brand in the region, with two Park Regis hotels already operating in Dubai and a further two under development for the Middle East”