- 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