Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) on Thursday launched the second edition of the ‘Sea Festival’ in the presence of the chief executive officer of BTEA Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa and other senior tourism officials.

The event is being held under the patronage of the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed Bin Rashid Al Zayani, at Bahrain Bay.

Hosting this event comes as part of the BTEA’s long term strategy to further develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.

The festival aims to showcase the Kingdom’s rich link to the sea tying it to several Bahraini sea related traditions and cultural activities by using the latest technologies.

"The Sea Festival aims to revive the kingdom’s legacy as well as educate visitors and tourists by integrating the past with the present," remarked Al Zayani.

"Visitors will also be exposed to traditional sea-related handicrafts and authentic diving equipment and learn about the history through modern technology in order to preserve it for the future generations," stated Al Zayani.

“Hosting this festival comes in line with the BTEA’s strategy that aims to promote and preserve the Kingdom's historical traditions for citizens, tourists and future generations. The event includes a series of exciting activities that aim to offer a unique experience for the entire family,” he added.

Speaking at the opening, Shaikh Khaled said: "Following the success of the first edition, we are delighted to host the festival once again this year and include more fun and exciting activities for visitors. We also look forward to launch the ‘Bahrain Light Festival’ within the next few weeks."

"Hosting these unique events will attract a number of visitors and contribute towards developing the kingdom’s tourism sector," he noted.

The festival features a number of activities, including the Techno Aqua World area for games and leisure activities such as the 360 virtual reality gaming zone, said the organisers.

The indoor area will feature a central display related to the history of pearl diving, a designated area for pearl and jewellery merchants, a coloring zone where children will be able to showcase their artistic skills by participating in the dhow painting activity, in addition to several live performances, they stated.

Furthermore, the outdoor area will also include a painting zone where artists will have live painting demonstration dhows per day that will be displayed throughout the festival. Other activities include the surfing simulator, free diving shows and many more. Sea related food vendors will also be available onsite, they added.

The ‘Sea Festival’ will run until November 4 from 4pm to 10pm Saturday to Thursday and from 4pm to 11pm on Friday. The tickets have been priced at BD2 per person, while children under 4 years go free.-TradeArabia News Service