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GREAT British Week starts today and organisers have invited expats and locals to come on-board and join in the fun and participate in the serious business planned over the coming days.
A new London Red Bus, shipped in specifically for the occasion, has already been causing a storm of interest on the streets of Bahrain and the Duke of York has flown in to meet and greet business leaders, as the initiative receives the backing from the royal families of both countries.
Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, is the second son and the third child of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh and was born in 1960 at Buckingham Palace. His focus is on assisting the economic success and creation of skilled jobs in the UK.
The GREAT British Week’s official launch will take place at the Bahrain International Air Show tomorrow. Under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad, the event is being organised by the British Embassy and the Bahrain British Business Forum (BBBF), with support from the British Council.
British Ambassador, Iain Lindsay, said: “This is the first GREAT British Week in Bahrain and is designed to promote the expertise and excellence of a wide range of British activities including engineering, technology, innovation, business, culture, sport, food and fashion, to name but a few.
“GREAT British Week demonstrates the unique friendship and working relationship that exists between the UK and Bahrain; indeed, the week is a forerunner to the 200th anniversary of the bilateral relationship between the two countries.”
More than 50 events are being organised from today until January 22 and they cover a broad range of activities with a host of companies, businesses, clubs, associations, hotels and individuals.
GREAT British Week starts with a lunch today, hosted by the BBBF and sponsored by Mini Cooper at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa.
This is followed by the first of a number of educational initiatives such as the Knowledge Event at the Regency Intercontinental Hotel.
Mark Crossey, country director and teaching centre manager of the British Council – Bahrain, said: “The event will showcase the best of British education with top universities and colleges presenting the latest advancements in educational research, technology and the arts.”
The Knowledge Event is being organised by the British Council and sponsored by Brunel and Ahlia Universities. The event is open to the public and encourages Bahraini students to consider the broad range of courses, particularly those related to engineering and technology, which are available at British universities. Educational establishments involved in the evening include Huddersfield, Bristol, Brighton, Strathclyde and Ulster universities, as well as the recently-opened Silverstone UTC.
Other signature events include the Advanced Engineering & Innovation Conference at the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) on January 18 and the Celebration Dinner at the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa on January 22.
The BIC event is designed to showcase British excellence in engineering and innovation. Sponsored by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) along with partners McLaren, 200 delegates are expected, along with exhibitors, to listen to key-note speakers from McLaren Automotive, McLaren Applied Technologies and Rolls Royce.
Exhibitors include McLaren Automotive and McLaren Applied Technologies. JCB, Ordnance Survey, Silverstone UTC, BAE Systems, Blue Water Bio and Rolls Royce (Aero). A welcome line-up of British-manufactured automobiles, including Bentley, Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Mini, Jaguar and Land Rover, together with Triumph motorcycles and JCB construction equipment, will be on display.
The new London Red Bus will feature at the BIC too. It was also part of the media launch programme at the Ritz-Carton Bahrain Hotel & Spa yesterday and will be at a number of locations in and around Manama during the course of the week.
“The bus is already attracting a massive amount of interest, an unusual and rare sight on the roads of Bahrain! The British Embassy is honoured that the Governor of the Capital Governorate, Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, has agreed to be the patron of the London Bus during its stay in Bahrain,” added Mr Lindsay.
Other activities include education and science events for children of all ages and a host of brunches, cocktail evenings and high teas at participating hotels such as the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel & Spa, which is staging a reception on Friday night, featuring members of the Royal Marine Colour Party band with their drums, bugles and finery performing after a sand castle competition during the day. The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel, Residence & Spa, Movenpick and the Domain will also be playing their part during the week.
Clubs, associations and societies are getting involved with the British Club hosting footballer John Hartson tomorrow evening, Bahrain Rugby Football Club staging a fixture against The Crusaders (see Back Page) and the Dilmun Club entertaining members and guests with a Queen rock tribute act tomorrow evening and a picnic in the park on Saturday.
The Alshaya Group is hosting a fashion show using many of its brands associated with the British high street. This event will form part of the closing dinner also featuring British comedy and a montage of British music across the decades.
The British Royal Marine Colour Party drummers and buglers are acknowledged as the best military band in the world and they will be playing at a number of events, in addition to the Ritz razzmatazz, including a St Christopher’s School Fish ’n’ Chips Supper on Monday. The British School of Bahrain is also entering the spirit of the occasion with many classroom-themed events.
More than 25 companies and organisations have offered sponsorship and support to the week. “The generous display by sponsors and partners underlines the extensive levels of goodwill and community spirit with which the GREAT British Week has been greeted,” said BBBF chairman Khalid Al Zayani.
All information relating to the events of the GREAT British Week together with timings, locations and event status is available on the Bahrain events portal www.yallabahrain.com and on the microsite www.yallabahrain.com/gbw
GulfWeekly readers can also follow news on GREAT British Week on social media by following #GREATBritishWeek on Twitter www.twitter.com/UKinBahrain or on Facebook www.facebook.com/UKinBahrain
