MANAMA: Bahraini registered event management companies have made an urgent appeal to His Majesty King Hamad, His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, seeking support for the sector through an economic stimulus package as it is one of the worst affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in the kingdom.

The appeal was an outcome of a virtual meeting held by a group of companies to discuss how the current situation with Covid-19 had affected this sector in a very negative way.

The representatives of the companies said many were facing major challenges and might not be able to survive, due to the cancellation of all events since March.

Participants emphasised that some companies have reported 100 per cent losses and closures, along with suffering from lots of financial commitments, non-payment risks, and unpaid wages.

They also noted the government’s keen efforts to improve the sector, citing the new international exhibition centre currently under development. Spread over 308,700sqm in Sakhir, next to Bahrain International Circuit, it will be the biggest event staging venue in the country.

Participants also called on the government to issue a special guide for the events management sector, following the example of restaurants and salons, in addition to offering a significant aid to this sector for a 12-month period.

Companies’ representatives asked for reactivating Tamkeen’s events support programme, having full legal and logistic backup.

They also suggested that Tamkeen, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and BTEA come together to launch a fund to promote domestic tourism and support all types of local events.

The participants expressed their optimism towards meeting their urgent needs for the sake of saving their businesses from total collapse and bankruptcy during the pandemic.

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