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THE kingdom’s fabulous Festival City came to a close last weekend with thousands of families and friends flocking to the carnival-like attraction as part of the hugely successful month-long Shop Bahrain bonanza.
The fun-filled site close to the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir recorded a whopping 103,615 visitors from across the Gulf and beyond, exceeding all expectations of the organisers, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA).
“This year, we hosted a festival which included exciting activities suitable for the entire family,” said Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, BTEA’s chief executive officer. “Shop Bahrain is proof of the major efforts exerted by the organising team to solidify its position as the biggest family entertainment event on a regional level.”
The organisers also hailed strategic partners Tamkeen, VIVA, Gulf Air and A.A. Bin Hindi Group, in addition to platinum partners, Bin Hindi Informatics (Samsung) and the Lulu Group for their efforts during the annual shopping spectacular.
Shaikh Khaled was particularly delighted by the partnership between the public and private sectors to ensure the event’s success.
One shining example was retail giant Lulu which recently opened its 156th hypermarket and the seventh in the kingdom in Saar. Yusuff Ali M. A., chairman and managing director of Lulu Group International, which owns the Lulu Hypermarket chain worldwide, attended the inauguration ceremony at The Atrium Mall & Towers last December.
“We extend our thanks to Lulu Hypermarket for the continued partnership with Shop Bahrain since its inception,” said Shaikh Khaled. “This demonstrates the group’s commitment towards embracing national initiatives and we are looking forward to renewing this collaboration in the upcoming editions.”
Lulu Hypermarket hosted a variety of family-oriented events and activities in different branches around the kingdom such as cooking demonstrations featuring a number of local chefs in Saar as well as a baking demonstration in Juffair. A number of promotional videos for Shop Bahrain were also filmed at the stores in Hidd and Galleria Mall. Additionally, Lulu planned major promotions during the festival as well as musical performances and a FIFA tournament.
“We were delighted to be among the platinum partners of Shop Bahrain for the fifth consecutive year,” said Juzer Rupawala, Lulu Group regional director. “The festival continues to highlight what the kingdom has to offer to visitors and shoppers during the holidays and festive seasons.”
With the curtains now drawn on this year’s activities, no one is resting on their laurels. Plans are already afoot to stage the sixth event, Shop Bahrain 2020. “We look forward to offering even more surprises and prizes in the next edition which we hope will be even bigger and better on all levels,” added Shaikh Khaled.
