Tourism
Bahrain offers great potential as both a regional and a world tourist destination, blessed with 33 islands, a cosmopolitan capital city; an attractive, liberal lifestyle; and a rich history and culture.
Manama’s Souq has been famous for hundreds of years. Qalat Arad is a remarkable fort dating back to the 15th century. Qalat al Bahrain (Bahrain Fort), once capital of the ancient Dilmun civilization, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Bahrain National Museum displays archaeological artifacts spanning 6000 years of Bahrain's history.
Other attractions include the Bahrain International Circuit, which brings in thousands of visitors every year for the Formula One Gulf Air Grand Prix. The race will be an annual fixture in Bahrain until the year 2016 under the terms of contract the Circuit has with Formula One.
In the past we have mostly focused on niche and boutique tourism, as well as the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) sector. In 2006 we attracted 4.5 million business and leisure visitors. Because of its location, competitive prices, state-of-the-art technology and services, Bahrain is an ideal place for MICE. Find out how >
Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) is the country’s flagship organisation dedicated to delivering quality business-to-business events aimed at promoting Bahrain as the business tourism destination of choice in the region. More on BECA>
New developments
Bahrain Bay, City Centre Mall, Al Areen, Amwaj Islands and Durrat Al Bahrain are now opening up Bahrain to a wider market.
The unique billion-dollar Al Areen development furthers Bahrain's reputation as a friendly destination for family and health-oriented tourists. Phase one is already complete, including the Banyan Tree Desert Spa and Resort, the largest spa in the Middle East, and the state-of-the-art 'Lost Paradise of Dilmun' Water Park. The development will include five-star hotels, residential villages, entertainment and recreational facilities, shopping centres and the Al Areen Wildlife Park.
Amwaj Islands is the first freehold development in Bahrain. Costing US$1.5 billion, the project is a series of man-made islands, including four main residential islands and a theme park island, 30 office towers, a waterfront shopping mall, five star hotels, an amusement park, entertainment facilities and a marina.
Durrat Al Bahrain is the Kingdom’s largest luxury residential, commercial and tourist resort development. Costing $6 billion, it consists of The Islands, six ‘Atolls’ and five ‘Petals’, with 1800 luxury residential villas; and The Crescent, which will offer dining, shopping and entertainment. There will also be an 18-hole golf course designed by Ernie Els, and one of the region’s largest marinas, with 400 berths across three islands.
Attracted by the potential of projects like these, more and more international names are now coming to Bahrain, such as Four Seasons, Kempinski and Renaissance, who join leading hotel groups already established here like Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, Radisson, Novotel, Marriott and Banyan Tree.
Growth in the region is set to see a 6.7% increase in international tourists by 2010.
Arena@bahrain
@bahrain is a unique commercial, educational and entertainment destination that is strategically located on 1 million square meters next to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC), ‘The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East’. @bahrain provides rich, cutting edge experiences that span 10 interconnected industry sectors: Exhibition & Convention Facility; Hotels; Multi-Purpose Indoor Arena; Lifestyle Plaza incorporating Retail & Leisure and Techtainment; Auto Club and Engineering Facility; Research Institute; Technopark; Light Industry; and Education and Training.
@bahrain is a state-of-the-art location for business growth – attracting foreign direct investment, joint venture partnership arrangements, direct ownership and landlord-tenant relationships. @bahrain is an international trend-setter, with a focus on environmental advocacy and innovative technological practices, ensuring that the overall composition of the business will inspire future commercial strategies in the region.
@bahrain will be home to the Middle East’s largest purpose-built indoor arena holding seating for 10,000 people, dedicated to staging world-class concerts, family shows and festivals space for auto shows, intimate events, premier sporting matches, equestrian extravaganzas and much more.
Arena@bahrain will use the latest technologies to accommodate as many different types of events as possible. Because of its flexibility, the arena can be tailored to host events for a variety of audiences. The venue address meets an unmet demand for a greater variety and quality of entertainment venue. As the first indoor arena in the region, @bahrain will be able to hold major events regardless of the weather or staging requirements.
Lifestyle@bahrain will offer a range of restaurants and boutiques to provide comfort and convenience to a wide array of visitors. Customers will experience an intimate street-like atmosphere as opposed to that found in large-scale shopping malls. Whilst the focus is primarily on providing food and beverage to visitors, there will be small merchandise and retail servicing shops targeted at the types of visitors coming to @bahrain as well as additional entertainment options like cinemas and a bowling centre. Techtainment@bahrain will also be located within Lifestyle@bahrain. For more information, visit www.atbahrain.com.bh.