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THOUSANDS of animal-loving families and farmers flocked to the week-long Mara’ee Bahrain Animal Production Show staged at the Bahrain Endurance Village.
Stunned organisers were overwhelmed by its pulling power and estimate that around 200,000 made their way to the event with a staggering 65,000-plus visitors exploring the free attractions on show in Sakhir on Saturday, despite the occasional downpour.
At peak times the parking area was so crowded that visitors were forced to park along the sides of the main highway leading to the venue. Others were advised by the authorities to circle around until spaces became available.
Ahmed Almadani, the event’s general co-ordinator, was thrilled with the outcome and believes that the support for this year’s show was a sign that Bahrain was back in business and able to play an increasing role as a trade hub.
He said: 'Mara’ee 2012 has turned out to be even better than we had hoped. The response from the public has been amazing. We’ve already had more visitors on one day than we had for the entire 2010 show.
'We’re really proud of how well it has come together and grateful to the people of Bahrain who have come out to support the show and take part in all the fun.
'We’ve learned a lot, what has worked well, what the people have enjoyed the most, what we need to adapt and improve and we’re already coming up with some great ideas for the next event in two years’ time! We hope to have established Mara’ee as one of the most popular days out for Bahraini and expat families.'
Inside the village, people were queuing up to see the amazing furry critters on display. Attractions included a bird, cat and dog show, a fish world, a Mad Science fun station for kids as well as carnival games, a trade exhibition and an animal boulevard that allowed guests to view livestock in their stables and learn about the animals.
The line of people pressing to get into the cat show was by far the longest and had even reached the entrance to the village. Some visitors even mistakenly joined it thinking it was the main queue to get into the show. The bird exhibit and dog show also created a buzz as did many shops selling bunnies, ducklings, chicks and other pets.
A band of men dressed as giant chickens serenaded the crowd through-out the day. There were also quizzes and games for families to join in.
Happy mum Kylie, 37, from Riffa, said: 'My young sons Jafar and Zacharia really loved being up so close to the animals. It was a fun family day out.'
Her husband Rasool, a 48-year-old engineer, added: 'The boys loved the horses, the balloons, the men with the puppets and especially the men dressed up as chickens. It was great in the morning but really busy come the afternoon.'
One of the highlights of the animal show was the horse ballet performed by The Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art from Cardiz in Spain. The beautiful stallions dazzled as they danced for the audience.
Prashanth Kumar, 42, an estimator for Asry, who lives in Budaiya, said they provided a perfect end to a family day out. His party included his wife Swapana, 36, daughter Swastika, nine, who brought her friend Bhavya, nine.
He said: 'The horse show was marvellous and not to be missed. The entire event was spectacular. It was more enjoyable than I expected. My daughter dragged me to it because she loves animals and cuddling pets but I was really fascinated by the exhibits and the variety on display.
'It was amazing. It was not just for kids and pet lovers – it was an interesting show for everybody.'
Meanwhile, the trade exhibitions gave farmers and entrepreneurs a chance to see what was out there in the global market. Scientists and industry leaders from Sudan, Kuwait, Egypt, Oman and Bahrain also displayed their knowledge of animal production and veterinary science at different lectures scheduled throughout the week, covering a wide range of topics related to the field.
Dr Nabil Mohammed Abul Fateh, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning, which organised the event, said: 'We had 162 exhibitors from 32 countries taking part in the trade show and that will surely increase Bahrain’s reputation in the animal production market.
'This is a huge increase on the last exhibition and is an indication of how far Bahrain’s animal production industry has grown in the last two years. Relationships are being developed and contracts signed.
'We need to focus more on our farming, animal health and production in order to develop food security. We are hoping to reduce imports and develop local production. That is why the ministry wanted to stage this event, to improve this sector.'
