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THE Dilmun Club is splashing out a further BD30,000 to improve dining, refreshments and sunshine experiences at the popular expat members club … and will celebrate with a chart-topping musical extravaganza.
Founded in 1974 and fondly known as ‘The Dilly’ the family, sporting and social facility in Saar currently boasts around 4,000 members from 60 countries.
Club committee chairman Martin Allison said: “We felt that some of the facilities in the club were in need of a facelift and we’ve been toying with plenty of ideas to ensure the Dilmun Club remains a firm favourite with members and new families arriving on the island.”
To celebrate the changes the club will be staging one of its biggest concerts in years headlined by Toploader, playing in a show arena erected in its rear paddock on September 27.
The English alternative rock band formed in 1997 boast more than two million album sales to their name and a string of top 20 hits both at home and abroad. Their debut album, Onka’s Big Moka, sold over one million copies and remained in the Top 5 of the UK Albums Chart for over six months. However, they are recognised most of all for their cover of King Harvest’s song Dancing in the Moonlight, which became a global hit for the band.
Mark Rowe, general manager of the Dilmun Club, said: “This is quite a coup and the band’s coming appearance has generated a lot of excitement.”
The present Toploader line-up contains four of the five original members; Joseph Washbourn, Dan Hipgrave, Rob Green and Matt Knight. This year, the band released a new single Turn It Around and headlined the recent LeeStock Music Festival in the UK.
The Dilly has teamed up with Gulf Brands International to open up a pool bar later this month which will enhance the ‘family-friendly area’ and also provide a multi-purpose stage for smaller acts to perform.
Major refurbishments will then follow at Amigos poolside restaurant, a popular venue for children’s birthday parties, which will reopen as a remodelled American 1950s-style diner.
It will include a hi-tech Microsoft X-box gaming area for youngsters with an adjoining milkshakes, waffles and ice-slush drinks bar.
During Ramadan the popular Bull’s Head British-style pub is set for a makeover too, with new carpets and leather furniture installed and the Stella Sports Bar will also be ‘refreshed’ and have new floor tiles. The quaint Bistro will become a tapas restaurant and all the outlets will benefit from a new summer main menu featuring a French Peasant Loaf at BD3.500 and a Middle Eastern Bagel at BD3.900 amidst others, alongside a seasonal selection of bar snacks such as meat balls with sweet chilli sauce and spring rolls, all priced at BD1.800.
Behind the scenes, the club has also invested in a new management and accountancy system.
As reported in GulfWeekly, in recent years the club has invested more than BD140,000 to improve it facilities for members which has included a popular seated veranda.
