It was a Fair(ly) good bargain

Roads were jammed with traffic, parking slots within the venue were filled to capacity and open grounds outside the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre were packed with abandoned cars and vans as their owners went in hot pursuit of the best bargains in town.

Today the mayhem continues for the ninth and final shopping day of the 19th annual Autumn Fair being held in Sanabis.

Five hundred exhibitors from more than 25 countries are participating in the extravaganza organised by Arabian Exhibition Management which boasts goods from China, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, the UAE, the UK and Australia.

Deepa Mani, a housewife from Juffair, said: "It was very, very crowded this year. We had to leave home very early to find somewhere to park!"

Despite the ordeal, the annual fair remains a magnet for households across the kingdom.

Vijesh Rajan, 25, an advertising agency copywriter, said: "I used to come to the fair regularly when I was a child and this time it felt like complete dŽjˆ vu. The atmosphere was exactly the same.

"The exhibition was screaming culture - different products from so many different countries all over the world and all under one roof. It is quite interesting to see what the merchants had to sell."

The fair has always attracted large numbers - both Bahrainis and expats living on the island alongside visitors from neighbouring Gulf states.

Last year, the fair attracted 185,852 visitors, and it's likely that the figure will be beaten again this time round.

Housewife Nazifah Mumtaz, 38, from Budaiya, said: "The exhibition seems the same as ever. I was looking for Turkish plates and pottery this year and I found some very beautiful examples. Also the linen, the Syrian furniture and the Iranian dry fruits are very nice."

"I had a really good time at the fair," said pensioner Hemlata Santiago, who is visiting her son in Bahrain.

"I was amazed to see so many people of various nationalities all under one roof.

"Though I did not shop much, it was fun browsing the products on the stalls and also sampling some local pickles and dry fruits."

Suzie, 42, from Juffair, said: "I furnished my apartment back home in the UK with the products I had bought at the fair over the past few years.

"There is a great variety of home furnishings like curtains, flower pots, paintings and so on at very reasonable prices."

Although the fair is renowned as a hotspot for bargain hunters it also boasts exquisite and expensive antiques.

One particular Iranian carpet stall was selling a carpet for BD6,000.

"It is handmade and nearly 75 years old," explained the stall keeper.

Alongside the regular visitors, some traders have also been bringing their products to the island for many years.

"We have been coming here for the past 10 years. The business is normally a little slow in the first few days but it paces up towards the end," said a stall keeper selling Pakistani leather.

The wide array of products on offer at the fair included leather jackets, quilts, home furnishings, paintings, charms, crystals, bed sheets, Iranian honey, accessories, cutlery, household gadgets, electronics, dresses, baby products, upholstery, aquariums, perfumes, spices and much more.

Food stalls served fresh snacks like shawarmas and popcorn to visitors at the entrance and a flute-playing musician provided live entertainment for children.

The ticket priced at 700fils was inclusive of a raffle draw offering visitors the chance to win a brand new Kia Picanto car.

I abandoned my trolley and went in search of what I considered to be the fair's best bargains. Please write to editor@gulfweekly.com if you spotted anything better!

Leather jackets from Pakistan starting at BD20

Iranian carpets begin at BD150

Quilts from China priced at BD5, BD9 and BD12

Sandals from the Indian state of Punjab at BD4

Crystal figures of different sizes at BD5.

Biscuits from the Netherlands for 500fils a packet in flavours including green olives, black pepper and cheese.