Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, the chief executive of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), has announced the launch of the Ramadan and Eid Shopping Festival to be held under the patronage of Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

The festival, which was announced during a press conference held today at the Capital Club in the presence of Fawzi Tolefat, director of marketing and promotion of exhibitions in BTEA and Tarek Amer, general manager of Royal Show Exhibitions. The event will be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC) and will run throughout the holy month of Ramadan and during Eid, from June 1 to the third day of Eid.

During his speech, Shaikh Khalid said that BTEA has signed a contract with Royal Show Exhibitions and the BIECC has been reserved during the holy month to support the Bahraini economy by stimulating tourism and increasing the number of visitors to the kingdom, especially from the Gulf countries.

“It is the first time that the BIECC has been fully booked for five consecutive weeks. The festival will undoubtedly revive the tourism drive in the kingdom and boost economic activity as a result of hotel occupancy by the festival’s participants and visitors as well as the use of other complementary services,” he said.

Shaikh Khalid added that this festival is expected to contribute $4 million to the national economy directly through trade transactions and indirectly through the use of hotels, restaurants, transportation and other related services.

"Such exhibitions are part of BTEA’s plan to revitalise the tourism sector and attract both Bahraini visitors and tourists from the GCC countries and beyond, who are interested in the local festivals that offer a variety of activities for families and young children," said Tolefat.

Amer also praised BTEA for facilitating the event, which is unique in nature and will showcase different products and activities, as well as promotions and valuable prizes to be won by all visitors, including four cars.

Visitors will be welcomed every day from 11 am to 3 pm, and from 7:30 pm to 1:30 am. The BTEA seeks to revive the market by attracting merchants to visit Bahrain, reflecting on the hospitality industry and having a significant impact on many economic sectors in the Kingdom, including the tourism and services sectors such as hotels, restaurants, transportation and accompanying services.

The festival aims to increase the kingdom's visitors from its neighboring GCC countries, as by providing an additional tourist attraction in the country during the holy month. Bahrain's pavilion will be positioned at the front of the exhibition and Bahraini merchants will be prioritized and will receive a 20 per cent discount on their participation. Local merchants will have the opportunity to view the latest international products and can engage in trade talks and deals with suppliers from around the world. It will also provide buyers with product diversification as well as competitive prices which will indirectly benefit the national economy. - TradeArabia News Service