The kingdom's accelerated tourism push will build on previous achievements, in tandem with plans to build up its business events sector, while boosting growth from markets such as India, China and the US, Zayed Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, told The National on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
“We did it in the first strategy from 2015 to 2019. We went from 3.4 per cent to 6.9 per cent [contribution to GDP],” Mr Alzayani said.
“Most of it had to do with awareness. A strategy, which was awareness, attractions, access and accommodation.”
The strategy was aimed at low hanging fruit and “putting Bahrain on the map”.
“We picked eight markets. UK was one. We picked them because they are big source markets, and there is direct connectivity to Bahrain,” said Mr Alzayani, who is also chairman of national airline Gulf Air.
“For example, we surveyed France, 153 travel agencies, some of the multi-branches. None of them had any material about Bahrain and Gulf Air has been flying to Paris since 1976.”
“We went from nine million tourists [a year] to almost 12 [million], 11.8. So, now we are going to 14 million.”
In the latest push to hit 14 million by 2026, the campaign has been expanded to 19 markets, he said.
“Between the first and the second [campaign], we reduced the awareness, went more on tactical,” he said. “So, we expanded the footprint to 19 markets. We brought in Gulf Air as a strategic partner. So, the growth of the Gulf Air network is synchronised with the source markets we feel are important for Bahrain.”
We brought in Gulf Air as a strategic partner. So, the growth of the Gulf Air network is synchronised with the source markets we feel are important for Bahrain.
Zayed Alzayani,
Bahrain's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism
Events, including regular fixtures such as the Formula One GP or the IISS Manama Dialogue, are part of the marketing strategy for attracting visitors but there will also be an emphasis on business conferences and meetings.
A new exhibition and convention centre, called Exhibition World Bahrain, is expected to be ready n November.
“It will be one of the largest in the area. Top five in the world. We have 100,000 square metres of exhibition space, 40,000 square metres of convention space [and a] 4,000 seat auditorium,” Mr Alzayani said.
“It will help Bahrain on the business tourism side, the Mice [meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions]. And that is good for us on two folds; it supports the tourism sector. They are heavy spenders, they stay for long periods.”
Mr Alzayani said it would create business opportunities for joint ventures and foreign direct investment into Bahrain “when you bring all these big conventions and all these people from around the world. We are confident we will hit the 14 [million target]".
“We are pitching for events that would go to Las Vegas or Hong Kong or Shanghai, because what we have is much bigger than Dubai or Doha. The capacity that I discussed with you doesn't exist in the Gulf,” he said.
“We have reformed a lot of our visa processes to make it easier to access Bahrain. We are creating more tourism content in Bahrain, whether it is on infrastructure or the private sector, investing in F&B [food and beverage] outlets and activities. We have even invested in a tour guide programme with the World Travel and Tourism Organisation, to create the proper image and presentation of Bahrain.”
Greater investment in Gulf Air will also be key, he said.
“We are investing in our airline, not just in the hardware and the new planes which we have coming up to 2026. We have a new airport. And in the last two years, Gulf Air has gone from a three star to a five-star airline,” said Mr Alzayani.
I think we did very well during Covid-19. It gave us more of a story to tell. We never had to shut down. We never shut our airport. We never stopped our airline, we never closed our borders. We never had curfews.
Zayed Alzayani,
Bahrain's Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism
“So, within the Covid [period], we have worked a lot on the quality and the efficiency of the airline to upgrade it to an international standard. India is a huge market for us. It is also a growth opportunity for us. China is a market we are yet to open up,” he said.
“And this is where I say Gulf Air synchronises with the tourism because we are planning to launch a route to China from Bahrain. We don't have direct connectivity yet. Another destination would be the US. So, we are hopeful to get the route set up by the beginning of next year.”
Risks that could have an impact include a resurgence of Covid-19, as well as competition from other markets.
“I think we did very well during Covid-19. It gave us more of a story to tell. We never had to shut down. We never shut our airport. We never stopped our airline, we never closed our borders. We never had curfews,” said Mr Alzayani.
“Covid-19 was probably my proudest moment of being a government official … the way everybody worked together, not just government, private citizens, expatriates; the whole nation really came together to face one threat. And everybody played their part, volunteers, police medical staff, everybody,” he said.
Oil prices above $100 a barrel help Bahrain in terms of its fiscal position but will not affect its economic diversification plans, Mr Alzayani said.
“We should always be growth-driven. And, you know, when [the] growth [target] is met, we shouldn't stop, you should double down,” he said. “And that is the only sustainable way to go forward. It won't last forever. We won't have oil prices where they are.”
Ultimately, the ambition is for Bahrain to be a “hub of excellence”.
“The biggest challenge for Bahrain is to change the mindset from thinking locally to thinking globally,” he said. “We are very small geographically. And the only way to achieve huge success is to think how to set up to be global from day one.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
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End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
more from Janine di Giovanni
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
How will Gen Alpha invest?
Mark Chahwan, co-founder and chief executive of robo-advisory firm Sarwa, forecasts that Generation Alpha (born between 2010 and 2024) will start investing in their teenage years and therefore benefit from compound interest.
“Technology and education should be the main drivers to make this happen, whether it’s investing in a few clicks or their schools/parents stepping up their personal finance education skills,” he adds.
Mr Chahwan says younger generations have a higher capacity to take on risk, but for some their appetite can be more cautious because they are investing for the first time. “Schools still do not teach personal finance and stock market investing, so a lot of the learning journey can feel daunting and intimidating,” he says.
He advises millennials to not always start with an aggressive portfolio even if they can afford to take risks. “We always advise to work your way up to your risk capacity, that way you experience volatility and get used to it. Given the higher risk capacity for the younger generations, stocks are a favourite,” says Mr Chahwan.
Highlighting the role technology has played in encouraging millennials and Gen Z to invest, he says: “They were often excluded, but with lower account minimums ... a customer with $1,000 [Dh3,672] in their account has their money working for them just as hard as the portfolio of a high get-worth individual.”
Directed: Smeep Kang
Produced: Soham Rockstar Entertainment; SKE Production
Cast: Rishi Kapoor, Jimmy Sheirgill, Sunny Singh, Omkar Kapoor, Rajesh Sharma
Rating: Two out of five stars
Chatham House Rule
A mark of Chatham House’s influence 100 years on since its founding, was Moscow’s formal declaration last month that it was an “undesirable
organisation”.
The depth of knowledge and academics that it drew on
following the Ukraine invasion had broadcast Mr Putin’s chicanery.
The institute is more used to accommodating world leaders,
with Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher among those helping it provide
authoritative commentary on world events.
Chatham House was formally founded as the Royal Institute of
International Affairs following the peace conferences of World War One. Its
founder, Lionel Curtis, wanted a more scientific examination of international affairs
with a transparent exchange of information and ideas.
That arena of debate and analysis was enhanced by the “Chatham
House Rule” states that the contents of any meeting can be discussed outside Chatham
House but no mention can be made identifying individuals who commented.
This has enabled some candid exchanges on difficult subjects
allowing a greater degree of free speech from high-ranking figures.
These meetings are highly valued, so much so that
ambassadors reported them in secret diplomatic cables that – when they were
revealed in the Wikileaks reporting – were thus found to have broken the rule. However,
most speeches are held on the record.
Its research and debate has offered fresh ideas to
policymakers enabling them to more coherently address troubling issues from climate
change to health and food security.
