BizBahrain Magazine (May-June 2019)

Economic Strategy | Kingdom of Bahrain
leadership has in defining the Kingdom
of Bahrain as the premium destination
for weddings in the region. Multiple
international weddings have already
been successfully hosted which have
each lasted for days and took up most
major 5 star hotel accommodation and
banqueting services. Some of which
achieved these hotels’ annual revenue
targets during a single wedding.
This success story is accredited
to His Excellency Shaikh Khaled Bin
Humood Al Khalifa, CEO, Bahrain
Tourism and Exhibitions Authority
(BTEA). In a recent interview with
Oxford Business Review, His Excellence
Shaikh Khaled stressed on the
strategy he has designed called the
“Four As”: accessibility, attractions,
accommodation and awareness. So
basically, transportation is accessibility.
And the plans set forth to expand the
Bahrain International Airport along
with the King Fahad Causeway are
exactly what are needed to accomplish
such a feat. The attraction is focusing
on what type of event we are looking
to focus our attention on “such as the
wedding arena”.
The next “A” takes us to the
final focal point of this paper;
accommodation or in a more macromanner,
Real Estate. We have never
seen these many cranes visible in our
Kingdom’s skyline. This is due to a
combination of factors present today
in Bahrain. One of which is clearly
known as the vision of our leadership
coming to reality. What is making all
this possible is the presence of a long
Bilaj Al Jazayer
era in security, economic prosperity,
and bilateral relations, under the wise
leadership of His Majesty, our beloved
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, His
Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin
Salman Al Khalifa, and His Royal
Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad
Al Khalifa, Deputy King, Crown Prince,
First Deputy Prime Minister of the
Kingdom of Bahrain and deputy
Supreme Commander of the Bahrain
Defence Force.
And so we see major infrastructure
projects and master developments
being constructing with fast turnover.
Bringing to the stage tremendous
opportunity for the Kingdom to host
tourists and guests from all over
the world. One main player in this
mammoth undertaking is Bahrain’s
Real Estate Investment arm; Edamah.
Striving to transform the Kingdom’s
Sa’ada
diverse and dynamic property sector,
Edamah’s portfolio includes projects
in the leisure and entertainment and
industrial sectors. As it has already
announced plans to deliver mega
projects such as Sa’ada (a project that
will bring Muharraq back to the sea)
and the breathtaking and historic Bilaj
Al Jazayer, Edamah is a major player in
Bahrain future.
This is all but a drop in the
Kingdom’s ocean of plans to make
Bahrain an oasis of wonder to the
lucky citizens and to the pleasure of
the outside world to come and witness
our beloved nation take its rightful
place in “Pole Position” as the number
1 destination in the world to live and
work according to expats surveyed for a
study analysing the top destinations for
quality of life.
Ahmed Khalifa Khalfan is a published
Fulbright Scholar holding an MBA from
Seattle G. University, Washington, USA as
well as a Bachelor of Science in Information
Systems Management from University of
Bahrain.
He previously worked with Batelco, Kuwait
Finance House, Al Safar Group Holding and
most recently with Bin Faqeeh Real Estate
Investment Company.
May-June 2019
31