• Largest outdoor Ice-skating rink
  • Launch Concert by Asma Lmnawar
  • Return of Al Riwaq's 'The Nest' and 'The Taste Tour'
  • Family Fair held during the New Year Weekend

Manama, 22 December 2015

Shop Bahrain, the largest nationwide festival in the Kingdom of Bahrain, announced today the Calendar of Events for the much-awaited celebration, which will take place from 24 December 2015 to 23 January 2016.

The second edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival, a unique 30-day celebration of Bahrain's heritage, hospitality and tourism offering for the entire family, boasts a wide range of events and unbeatable promotions for residents and visitors.

The inaugural event held last year under the name of 'Bahrain Noor El Ain' aimed to strengthen the partnership between the public and private entities in order to stimulate the national economy and drive the growth of the retail and tourism sector. The first edition, launched by Tamkeen, focused on supporting local businesses and entrepreneurs. Over 2,000 retail outlets took part generating BD18 million worth of shopping during the six-week festival along with the creation of 300 temporary jobs and a growth of 16% in regards to tourists. 

A Gulf-wide roadshow was also launched this year spanning the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Doha in order to promote the festival along with dedicated travel packages available on the festival's website.

Further commenting on the upcoming launch of Shop Bahrain, Project Director, Nawaf Alkoheji said: "We remain focused to develop a strong partnership with all stakeholders in order to create a rich and fun-filled experience for residents and tourists. We have developed an enjoyable calendar of events for the entire family."

"Events include the largest outdoor ice skating rink open throughout the festival, along with a series of events held in shopping malls as well as the launch event which is a concert held by Asma Lmnawar, one of the top singers in the Arab World. Shoppers will also be able to win some amazing prizes through our weekly raffle draws," he added.

Shop Bahrain Calendar of Events

24th December 2015 - 23rd January 2016

Main Events

Taste Tour

Date: Until the 9th of January 2016

Location: Block 338 in Adliya

Time: Based on each restaurants operating hours

'Taste Tour' of some of Adliya's top restaurants where participants will be able to sample dishes and vote for their favorite restaurants. Participants who completed the 13 taste tours will also have the opportunity to win a business class ticket with Gulf Air to any destination within the airline's network.

Al Riwaq's 'The Nest'

Date: Every weekend until the 9th of January 2016

Location: Block 338 in Adliya

Time: Thursday from 5:00pm to 10:00pm

            Friday from 3:00pm to 10:00pm

            Saturday from 12:00pm to 8:00pm

Bringing together the local and regional talents and entrepreneurs under one roof during the weekend event, Al Riwaq's 'The Nest' aims to promote the latest creations from clothes, jewelry, ceramics, furniture and much more. On the sidelines of the event, a number of workshop for children, film screenings and music acts are held.

Shop Bahrain Launch Event

Date: 24th December 2015

Location: Seef Mall, Seef District 

Time: Thursday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm

A concert will be held by Arab singer, Asma Lmnawar in the West Wing of Seef Mall located in the Seef District.

VIVA 'Shop & Skate - Al A'ali Shopping Complex

Date: 24th December 2015 until the 23rd of January 2016

Location: Al A'ali Shopping Complex, Seef District 

Time: 4:00pm to 10:00pm during weekdays and 4:00pm to 12:00am during weekends

The largest outdoor ice-skating rink will open to the public during the festival. Located in Al A'ali Shopping Complex, the venue will also feature a bazaar held during the weekends creating a unique experience for shoppers.

The Family Fair

Date: 31st December 2015 to 1st January 2016

Location: Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park, Hidd

Time: 3:30pm to 1:00am

The 'Family Fair' is a fun-filled event held during the New Year's weekend boasting a number of activities for the entire family including a concert by Bahraini singer, Hind on the 31st of December along with fireworks, games and food stalls.

Shopping Mall Activities

Reverse Bungee Jumping

Date: 24th December 2015 to 23rd January 2016

Location: Al A'ali Shopping Complex, Seef District

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Shoppers will be able to experience a once-in-a-lifetime thrill with the Reverse Bungee Jumping event held inside the mall.

Art exhibition by Jamal Abdulrahim

Date: 24th December 2015 to 6th January 2016

Location: Moda Mall, Manama

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Bahraini artist, Jamal Abdulrahim, is one of the most prominent artists and sculptors in the Kingdom. He will feature some of his top work during the event.

Oriental Music

Date: 24th to 26th December 2015 and 31st December 2015 to 2nd January 2016

Location: Moda Mall, Manama

Moda Mall will feature an oud musician during both weekends offering shoppers a unique experience.

Pottery Workshop

First Workshop

Date: 25th December 2015

Location: Seef Mall, Isa Town

Time: 5:30pm to 9:00pm

Second Workshop

Date: 2nd January 2016

Location: Al Reem Centre, Riffa

Time: 3:00pm to 9:00pm

Both workshops will focus on introducing pottery making to children. The first workshop held in Seef Mall will portray the craftsmanship of pottery while the second workshop will focus on teaching children the basics of pottery.

Selfie Station

First Event

Date: 26th December 2015

Location: Gold City, Manama

Time: 9:00am to 1:00pm to 4:00pm to 9:00pm

Second Event

Date: 7th January 2016

Location: Reef Mall, Hamad Town

Time: 11:00am to 11:00pm

Third Event

Date: 15th January 2016

Location: Sultan Mall, Zayed Town

Time: 12:00pm to 12:00am

Shoppers will be able to take instant pictures with family and friends in the vicitnty of each mall. The pictures can be printed, sent electronically to emails or posted on social media accounts.

Betty Balloon

Date: 7th to 9th January 2016

Location: Seef Mall, Muharraq

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

'Betty' is a world renowned children balloon sculpture and entertainer. The event will also include a story-telling segment.

Children Cinema

Date: 7th to 9th January to the 14th to 16th January 2016  

Location: Enma Mall, Riffa

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

A children cinema will be created in the heart of the mall featuring some of the most popular cartoons and Disney features.

Children Art Workshop

Date: 8th January 2016

Location: Saar Mall, Saar

Time: 3:00pm to 9:00pm

Workshop will be held for children aimed at developing their creative and artistic talents.

Rock Climbing

Date: 8th to 15th January 2016

Location: Bahrain Mall, Sanabis

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

Enjoy the most thrilling sports activity, rock climbing, located in the heart of Bahrain Mall.

Big Names

Date: 8th to 15th January 2016

Location: City Centre Bahrain, Seef District

Time: 10:00am to 10:00pm

A live exhibition of unforgettable world icons will be held at the mall including Coco Channel, Walt Disney, Mozart and Albert Einstein. The live exhibition will be roaming around the mall and shoppers will be able to take pictures with the icons.

Among other activities is the promotions offered by the participating retail outlets and the opportunity to enter the weekly raffle draw. With the purchase of BD10 or more, each shopper will be able to register within the Loyalty Scheme launched for Shop Bahrain.

Raffle Draw Schedule

First Draw:

Date: Friday, 1st January 2016

Location: Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park, Hidd

Time: 7:00pm

Second Draw:

Date: Friday, 8th January 2016

Location: Seef Mall, Seef District

Time: 7:00pm

Third Draw:

Date: Friday, 15th January 2016

Location: Bahrain Mall, Sanabis

Time: 7:00pm

Fourth Draw (Grand Prize):

Date: Saturday, 23rd January 2016

Location: Al A'ali Shopping Complex, Seef District

Time: 10:00pm

-Ends-

About Shop Bahrain:
Shop Bahrain is the Second Edition of the Bahrain Shopping Festival, an initiative developed by Tamkeen to strengthen the partnership between the public and private sectors in order to stimulate the retail and tourism industry in the Kingdom. The festival, featuring a number of events and activities, aims to attract shoppers from the Kingdom and neighboring countries - offering them a unique shopping experience focusing on family festivities. The inaugural edition of the festival launched last year under the name of "Bahrain Noor El Ain" to energize the retail and tourism sector in the Kingdom.

© Press Release 2015