Bahrain Shopping Festival to feature world-class events

The second edition of Bahrain Shopping Festival, Shop Bahrain, is set to be the largest nationwide festival with a 30-day celebration of Bahrain’s heritage, hospitality and tourism offering for the entire family running from Dec. 24 to Jan. 23.
Shop Bahrain Director Nawaf Alkoheji said the objective of the festival is to stimulate the national economy and attract tourists from neighboring Gulf countries.
“Last year, over 2,000 retailers took part in the festival and we witnessed BD18 million worth of shopping during the six-week festival with a surge in tourists from across the Gulf region. We witnessed an overall increase of 16 percent in the total number of travelers visiting Bahrain during the duration of the festival,” said Alkoheji.
“Aside from attracting visitors and tourists, Shop Bahrain will not only benefit the tourism value chain, large retailers and premium shopping malls but also variety of SMEs, giving them access to the wider GCC market,” added Alkoheji.
Shop Bahrain will mirror the kingdom’s position as a welcoming, accessible, family destination with an incredibly diverse range of retail experiences from luxury malls to traditional souks to luxury boutiques coupled with unbeatable bargains and promotions.
The second edition’s calendar of events includes VIVA Shop & Skate, described as the largest outdoor ice-skating skating rink in the GCC region housed outside Al A’ali Shopping Complex and The Family Fair, a carnival held during the New Year’s eve weekend at Prince Khalifa bin Salman Park in Hidd.
Other highlights include the return of Al Riwaq’s The Nest, showcasing local and regional talent, in addition to The Taste Tour taking place in the center of it all — Adliya. Mega raffles will also offer visitors and residents the opportunity to win prizes.