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Bahrain City Centre, the 1.5 million square feet retail and leisure destination in Manama, celebrated its official grand opening on Sunday.
The ribbon-cutting was presided over by Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, followed by a public grand opening extravaganza in the afternoon which runs until December 29.
On behalf of His Majesty King Hamad, the VIP celebration was also attended by government dignitaries, key contractors and suppliers, retailers and members of the media.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates the achievements of the Bahrain City Centre since opening its doors in September, with more than 300 shops, restaurants and attractions now trading.
Stefan Kirsten, MAF Group chief executive, said: "We were very proud the Crown Prince of Bahrain honoured us by officially opening this impressive and significant development.
"We are delighted to be able to bring such a world class destination to Manama, which serves both the local residents and visitors from elsewhere. Bahrain City Centre is an important step forward in putting Bahrain on par with Dubai, Paris and London as a shopping and leisure destination."
Derek Rossel, general manager of the Bahrain City Centre, added: "When we opened our doors earlier this year, we invited the people of Bahrain and visitors to the kingdom to come explore and watch the mall unfold itself into Bahrain's ultimate destination.
"With a large critical mass of partners now doing a brisk trade, this promise has been achieved and we are so proud to have been embraced by the community. We look forward to continuing to surprise and delight our visitors in the years to come.
"We also want to take a moment to thank all the people who have made today's grand opening possible - the government which has been so supportive of the Bahrain City Centre, all our employees, suppliers, contractors and retailers who have worked so long and hard to make it a reality, and of course the people of Bahrain and its visitors who have embraced us as a fundamental part of their lives."
Celebrations for the public include three daily, 30-minute entertainment performances: one for children, and two for family audiences, an array of entertainment that incorporates a mix of water, aerial, dance and light effects in the centre galleria, various interactive promotions for children and families including face painting and a variety of decorating workshops and outside, the Bahrain City Centre will be bathed in special effect lighting, building colour washes, lasers and search lights.
Now open in the Centre are a number of major attractions and shops including Magic Planet, Saks 5th Avenue, The Toy Store, Sun & Sand Sports, Sharaf DG, Wafi Gourmet, Marina Exotic Furniture, The Home Centre, and Bobbi Brown. In addition, it now boasts eight cafes, 20 food court units, 10 restaurants and four specialty food shops.
Still to come in the New Year are the much-anticipated waterpark, two luxury hotels and a 20-screen Cineco cineplex, the largest of its kind in the region.
In addition, 2009 will see the completion of Magic Planet which will incorporate a 10-pin bowling alley, three additional cafes, five new restaurants and one specialty food outlet.
Once completed the centre is expected to attract many more visitors to the kingdom from neighbouring Gulf states, making it a major contributor to Bahrain's economic development plans. It is also expected that the completion next year of the huge site will further increase the employment opportunities for local people.
