A ban on music and other forms of entertainment in Bahrain's four-star hotels will be a temporary measure for one month only, a report said.

The measure also includes a ban on hiring dancers and music bands in hotels found violating the provisions of a law regulating tourism activities, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The move is part of the Culture Ministry's vision and responsibility to regulate and develop the hospitality sector, the ministry said. The violations include changing the nature of activity, failure to abide by opening hours and the authorised number of singers as well as recruitment of musicians without the ministry's approval.

Assistant under-secretary for tourism Shaikh Khalid bin Humood Al Khalifa, meanwhile, said the ban follows 155 violations in 28 four-star hotels in April and May last year.

In July last year, these hotels received circulars to rectify their situation, but they continued to commit violations, he said. Legal action was, therefore, taken against violating outlets in August last year. Despite repeated warnings and meetings with representatives of the hotels, 154 violations have been reported this year which, led to the ban.

Twelve four-star hotels have not registered any violations and were spared legal action.

Earlier, the hoteliers voiced their outrage over the decision by the Tourism Directorate to close discos and other entertainment outlets.

They will study the possibility of abstaining from paying a five per cent tax levied on their outlets, sources told our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej. - TradeArabia News Service