SAKHIR, Bahrain — ASM Global made history with the inauguration ceremony of Bahrain World Expowhich is now the largest exhibition center in the Middle East with 95,000 square meters of exhibition space and managed by ASM Global.
The venue features an adaptable and flexible design, with 10 rooms totaling over one million square feet, a 4,000-seat Grand Hall, 94 meeting rooms, 25 F&B outlets, three entrances and retail outlets throughout the hall, allowing it to host multiple events simultaneously.
“This moment is the culmination of our plan developed during the pandemic based on our belief that this part of the world would be the fastest to not only return to normal but also move quickly to significantly increase its market share in conventions and exhibitions,” said Ron Bension, president and CEO of ASM Global.
Following the official opening, attended by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain, Exhibition World Bahrain opened its doors to the public for three events: Arabian Jewelrywhich used 54,000 square meters of exhibition space, Arabian Perfumethe very first exhibition of which started alongside Jewellery Arabia and Urban landscape, which are all produced by Information marketsMore than 100,000 visitors attended the show over five days.
Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority owns Exhibition World Bahrain and plans to leverage ASM Global’s network in the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector to create unique experiences.
More shows are planned for later this year. “The Arab International Cybersecurity Summit will be held from 6-8 December and will be under the patronage of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Bahrain. This will be followed by the Autumn Fair, which will showcase thousands of products from traders around the world and is expected to welcome over 150,000 visitors over nine days,” said Dr Debbie Kristiansen, Managing Director of Exhibition World Bahrain.
“We also have a busy calendar of events for 2023. The announcement of these events will come in due course, but we have seen a phenomenal level of interest from international organisers and bookings through to 2024 and 2025,” Kristiansen said.
Bahrain has announced a four-year strategy for its tourism sector, as part of the Kingdom’s Economic Recovery Plan, to attract 14.1 million visitors and for tourism to account for 11.4% of its GDP by 2026. In the first half of 2022, Bahrain saw its total tourism revenue reach $1.7 billion and recorded 6.9 million visitors by the end of September 2022.
“We are aligning our plans with the objectives and goals of the Bahrain Tourism Strategy 2022-2026, and a key element of the new strategy is to integrate international marketing, events and infrastructure into a transformational programme that will help accelerate the growth of tourism in Bahrain. Exhibition World Bahrain is a key part of achieving this,” Kristiansen said.
THE Bahrain Economic Development Council, Bahrain, backed by Team Bahrain, announced that it has secured $291 million in direct investment in its tourism sector in the first three quarters of 2022. These investments are expected to generate 1,090 new jobs in the tourism sector over the next three years. In total, Bahrain has attracted $921 million in direct investment from 66 companies as of September 2022 and expects these investments to create more than 4,700 new jobs in different sectors in the Kingdom, including finance and IT.
“We are proud to partner with the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority to increase footfall and establish Bahrain as a global destination,” said Harvey Lister AM, Chief Executive Officer, APAC and Gulf, ASM Global. “The opening of this iconic venue aligns with the aspirations of Bahrain’s Vision 2030, helping to advance economic competitiveness and drive diversification of growth. We will continue to support these aspirations and encourage others to explore and take advantage of the many opportunities the Kingdom has to offer. ASM Global is also passionate about mentoring and developing the talent and skills of Bahraini youth, creating a strong and vibrant future for Bahrain.”
Contact Harvey Lister AM at [email protected]; Dr. Debbie Kristiansen at [email protected]