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Bahrain is well on its way to becoming a premium destination for some of high society’s most important events with a team of top-notch professionals, led by Dr Ali Hassan Follad, making dreams come true.
With their eyes set on exclusive weddings, engagements, anniversaries, honeymoons, birthdays and more, Dr Ali’s team has already coordinated more than 17 beau monde events, catering to the Indian market and with an exceptional response, the team plans to expand its operations over the next few years.
Dr Ali said: “Bahrain is a very cosy and cordial island. The Indian families who have had their events here have loved it here; they felt welcomed and loved all the activities we were able to coordinate for them.”
The idea to position the country as an elite wedding destination was the brainchild of Dr Ali at a meeting chaired by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani and the CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa.
The concept was an instant hit at the meeting and Dr Ali was asked to take the helm of the project. With a small squad, they hit the ground running and after a proposal, bringing some of the largest stakeholders on the island to work together, they started promoting regionally to GCC countries like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait as well as internationally, in particular to a country close to the heart of cinephiles across the island – India.
In early 2017, Bahrain caught the eye of the Mehtas and Jatiyas, prominent Indian business families. Russell Mehta, the CEO of Rosy Blue India, one of the top diamond companies in the country, and Amit Jatia, vice chairman of Westlife Development, which owns the McDonalds’ franchises across India, were on the hunt for a crème de la crème location for a destination wedding.
After an initial scouting trip, the real decision-makers for the wedding, the mothers and ladies of the family, visited the kingdom and with their green light, preparations began in full gusto.
In Bahrain, with the blessing of the royal leadership, ministries including the Ministry of Interior, semi-ministries like the Bahrain International Airport and other officials came together to ensure a smooth and comfortable experience for the families and their guests.
These stakeholders worked with wedding-associated private sector vendors from 25 categories such as hospitality, transportation, wedding logistics, jewellery and even floral and henna designers to accommodate the choicest needs of more than 1,000 privileged guests.
Dr Ali added: “Our first task as a team was the biggest Indian wedding in all of the Middle East. Normally you go step by step but with our very first assignment, we were asked to coordinate such a significant and select event. With the efforts of everyone from the public and private sector, it just worked. Everything went smoothly. The families were very happy. They felt welcome and hoped to do another wedding here.”
For the first wedding held in Bahrain, the families flew out their best designers, caterers and other staff, setting them up in hotels across the island, to ensure a picture-perfect weekend.
Three events, the Mehendi, the Sangeet and the wedding took place at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay and the Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain, buying out the entire venues for the exclusive access of the families’ guests.
As far as guests go, as reported by Vogue India, names usually just read about or watched on the big screen, such as Aamir Khan and the Ambanis showed up to partake in the festivities.
In addition to the modern conveyances that the elite have come to expect, Dr Ali also brought Bahraini heritage to their doorstep.
Dr Ali, who completed a PhD in Economics from Edinburgh Napier University (Scotland) with a thesis entitled, “The Role of Handicrafts within the Tourism and Economic Development Sectors in the Kingdom of Bahrain,” had previously been involved with promoting local artisans.
He brought that passion to this assignment working with the Manama Souq to bring select vendors to the hotels where the guests were staying for a personal shopping experience.
This was a hit with guests, raising the profile of the local indigenous craft industry and giving visitors an opportunity to take a slice of Bahrain home with them.
The three-day affair ended with an after-party hosted by the wedded couple, Diya Mehta and Ayush Jatia, and as with all epic events, a sky full of fireworks.
As the jet setting guests flew back home the next day, Dr Ali’s team, proud of what they had accomplished, knew that the fun and work was just beginning.
“BTEA provided a service; complimentary of course, that large countries and other destinations simply couldn’t offer,” said Dr Ali. “We brought the entire island together to host the families and ensure a wonderful, successful and smooth weekend. And we have continued to do so, since we started.”
The BTEA Events team has since organised 16 more such events, bringing around 6000 guests who arrived via Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, with a direct economic return of BD8 million and with resounding success every time, they are opening representative offices in even more countries.
Now, the process is so streamlined, families and interested parties simply have to go to bahrainislandwedding.com, pick vendors they like, contact hotels and when ready, reach out to the nearest BTEA representative office for further assistance.
BTEA’s efforts also won the kingdom the “Best Destination for Indian Weddings” award at the WOW Awards Asia 2019, a three-day event honouring the top providers of customer service, based purely on customer feedback.
At the joyous occasion Dr Ali said: “Promoting the Kingdom of Bahrain as an ideal destination for weddings and celebrations comes as part of the BTEA’s strategy which focuses on further developing the tourism sector and increasing its contribution to the GDP in line with the Economic Vision 2030.
“We are participating in this event for the third consecutive year and aim to attract the attention of other companies participating in this prestigious event as well.”
With a growing global team, Bahrain seems poised to be a favoured destination for Indian and Saudi weddings especially, owing to its historical close ties to the two countries. With a growing tourism and hospitality sector, this looks set to be a significant part of the country’s economic future as well as a backdrop to some of the most discussed ceremonies to come.
“We have offices in Saudi, UK and India, with more coming to help clients and their families however we can and however they are comfortable to ensure a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” added Dr Ali.
