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THE growing importance of the kingdom’s hospitality sector was highlighted at Sunday evening’s ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay which will attract even more tourists from around the globe and create hundreds of job opportunities.
Patronising the official opening ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, expressed his confidence in the contribution of the latest five-star property to the national economy, as a major investment project that adds real value and considerable momentum to the country’s development process.
Senior officials from within and outside Bahrain, as well as prominent businessmen and local and regional media figures attended the event. Shaikh Khalid told them: “In addition to its economic contribution, this project has stated job creation for local talent as one of its operational goals.
“Hotels such as these will encourage more Bahrainis to work in the hospitality sector, which will support the government’s plans to strengthen this industry, as evidenced in the recent commissioning of the Ministry of Labour to draw up a plan for the re-establishment of the Faculty of Hospitality in order to prepare quality staff to meet the specialised needs of first-class hotels and restaurants. ”
THE latest five-star hotel complex has opened its doors with guests rushing to book rooms, sample its delights, taste-test its dining options and hire its banqueting facilities.
The iconic 68-storey Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, shaped like a giant H on the skyline, features 273 spacious guest rooms, seven options for indoor-outdoor dining and beverages, five swimming experiences with six super-cabanas, a spa with 17 treatment rooms, two ballrooms and a Sky Bridge with meeting rooms.
Sunday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony was the property’s soft opening allowing visitors to enjoy its pools, lobby lounge, indoor and outdoor Bahrain Bay Kitchen restaurant, poolside dining and ballrooms … with 18 wedding parties already booked in advance.
By March 18 the rest of the facilities will open including the spa and three much-anticipated offerings of a steakhouse, Asian cuisine restaurant and lounge by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck.
During the ceremony, Greg Pirkle, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Kingdom of Bahrain – its leadership, government and people – for their support and assistance on the project, and also thanked Shaikh Khalid for patronising the official opening ceremony.
He said: “Bahrain is a very strategic market for us in the GCC, and we are thrilled to have been able to enter it with our strong local partners who share our vision and have helped deliver a truly iconic property.”
He also stressed the determination of all those involved in this project to contribute to the success of the economic vision of Bahrain, in addition to playing an important role in promoting the local hospitality industry and encouraging Bahrainis to work in the sector.
He added: “As always we are keen to offer our guests a service standard that is exemplary, coupled with the distinct hospitality drawn from the people of the region. We are very pleased to say that by hiring a mix of local and international talent we hope Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay will bring the best of both worlds to Bahrain.”
When fully operational Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay will employ 550 members of staff of which 10 per cent will be Bahrainis getting a taste of the adventure ahead.
It is the group’s fourth project in the Gulf following those established in Riyadh, Doha and Dubai, the 11th in the Middle East and North Africa, and the 97th globally.
Shaikh Khalid believes the opening of the property located in the heart of the capital Manama provides a huge boost for the country and re-emphasises the belief that Bahrain is a secure, flexible and attractive economic environment for foreign investment.
He said: “Through the continuous inbound flow of foreign capital and the embracing of numerous mega-investment projects, Bahrain proves that its economy is built on solid and sound foundations and offers a high level of competitive advantage.”
He believes that the tourism industry is a vital industry that can help the economy rely less on oil revenues which are subject to fluctuations of the global market, is a key source of income and would be a major player in the economic future of Bahrain, especially as the kingdom possesses the elements that could make it an attractive tourism destination.
And, this is just the start of a whole wave of new investment opportunities. He added: “We encourage the establishment of major projects in the capital Manama as the financial and economic centre of the kingdom.
“To further support the government’s vision for the diversification of sources of income through investment in tourism, we will soon announce a package for development to be carried out in the southern region, which will be supervised by the public sector represented by a subsidiary of the government-owned Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the investment arm of the kingdom, in partnership with major private sector companies working in this field.”
