Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) announced record results for the third quarter of the year.

BECA acting chief executive officer Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen reported the results in a presentation to BECA's board of directors led by Industry and Commerce Minister and board chairman Dr Hassan Fakhro, said a report in our sister publication, the Gulf Daily News.

She said the Bahrain International Exhibition and Conference Centre (BIEC) was running at 100 per cent occupancy for this year and next year, with many bookings already confirmed from 2010 to 2013.

Highlights for the third quarter include double-digit year-over-year contract bookings growth from last year until next year, 10 new exhibitions with multiple-year contracts commencing next year, three new international medical congresses for Bahrain and two, world-ranking sporting events.

BECA also signed memorandums of understanding with Gulf Air and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI).

BECA achieved a key milestone during the third quarter when it successfully made the case for a new Expo City for Bahrain before Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and the Cabinet, securing the government's unanimous approval and support for the new Expo City in Sakhir.

This will increase the centre's exhibit and meeting capacity 10-fold. With the groundbreaking of the project scheduled for the first quarter of next year, the $200 million landmark project is scheduled to be commissioned by 2011. - TradeArabia News Service