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THE Brits are coming to Bahrain for a special week of building business connections, celebrating its expat community’s activities and charitable endeavours in the kingdom and promoting the homeland in GREAT style.
GREAT British Week is being organised and promoted in conjunction with the third running of the much-anticipated Bahrain Air Show, an event that has grown in stature over the last six years.
Organised under the patronage of His Majesty, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, by the British Embassy, the British Council and the Bahrain British Business Forum (BBBF) it will take place from January 15-22 and will be the forerunner for events marking the 200th anniversary of the bilateral trading agreement between the UK and Bahrain.
British Ambassador, Iain Lindsay, said: “This is the first celebration of British business and innovation in a generation and we are very excited at the prospect of putting on, and supporting, a whole range of events that showcase the wide-ranging, longstanding and close relationship between our two countries.
“I’m delighted that the embassy is already working with a number of partners on its contribution to the week.
“An advanced engineering and innovation expo at the Bahrain International Circuit, a university-led ‘knowledge’ forum, a campaign to promote the UK’s fashion and food sectors and, finally, a celebration dinner to mark the end of the week will make this a very exciting and rewarding occasion and I encourage everyone within the British and Bahraini communities to become involved in this special celebration.”
A leading member of the British Royal Family may also visit the kingdom and take part in the promotion, although exact details have yet to be announced.
Only last week His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, met the British heir to the throne Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, at Clarence House in London, as part of his visit to the UK to take part in the World Islamic Economic Forum.
Deputy Head of Mission, Russ Dixon, has played a prominent part on the event’s organising committee. He said: “Great Britain and Bahrain have enjoyed close ties and a bilateral trade agreement for almost 200 years.
“British companies, their families and individuals have enjoyed a long relationship with the kingdom and have, over the years, made a significant contribution to the global awareness of Bahrain, not only as a trading nation, but as a friendly and hospitable place to live.
“GREAT British Week is a fabulous platform on which the two countries can demonstrate their friendship, as well as commercial and solid business activities.
“The event is also a business development and business networking launch pad for promoting the numerous benefits of doing business in the UK and with UK companies.
“It also underlines the substantial relationship between the two countries and emphasises Bahrain’s value as a trading partner and regional hub for business within the Middle East.
“The community at large is examining many ways of being involved. For some this means simply displaying posters and GREAT merchandising while others are looking at more flamboyant and unique ways of celebrating this significant event.
“Others are considering how they can kick-start a series of events that will promote and publicise celebrations in support of the 200th anniversary of the bilateral trade links between Bahrain and the UK.”
GREAT British Week will receive a ‘VVIP visitor’, whose identity will be announced nearer the time, a source confirmed to GulfWeekly.
And linking the start of the GREAT British Week with the first day of the Bahrain International Airshow appears to be a smart move by the organisers as the event will feature a strong presence from UK companies, alongside an increasing interest from the international aerospace industry.
Leading industrial nations and global economies will be represented at the show and this will perfectly compliment and heighten interest in the GREAT British Week, said Martin Whittaker, managing director of Sportique88, the Amwaj-based company project-managing the event.
“The GREAT British Week compliments the Bahrain Air Show and underlines the significance of Bahrain and its ability to attract companies and investment from industrial nations and global economies. British companies involved in the air show include Rolls Royce Aerospace, BAE Systems and Farnborough,” he added.
The GREAT Britain campaign is the biggest-ever integrated UK government international marketing campaign, driving inward investment and tourism. It was created to maximise the economic benefits of London’s Olympic and Paralympic Games, and showcase the very best of the UK - from business to sport to culture - across the globe.
The funding for the GREAT campaign is £30 million for 2013-14, which comes on top of £25 million already being invested in the campaign in 2012. This funding allows the campaign to target more people in more key markets over the next two years. The main objective of the GREAT campaign is to grow inward tourism to Britain by focusing and promoting all that is GREAT about Britain.
In line with the campaign, the British Embassy of Bahrain is creating a series of exciting events in Bahrain to highlight why Great Britain is a great place to invest, to do business with, to live and to study, which the organisers will outline at a press conference today at the British Embassy hosted by Ambassador Lindsay and BBBF chairman, Khalid Al Zayani.
The following key areas highlighted are knowledge, innovation, culture, heritage, technology, shopping, creativity, sports, countryside, entrepreneurship and music.
The organisers are convinced that many companies from across the Bahrain-British business community, as well as international brands, will see the GREAT British Week as a robust platform on which to demonstrate the commercial importance of the UK, and of Bahrain as a trading partner and a solid place to do business.
The list of sponsors and partners is already impressive and includes the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), McLaren Automotive, BAE Systems, Rolls Royce (Aerospace), Euro Motors, Atkins, Brunel University and Ahlia Universities, URS together with Ordnance Survey, to name just a few, with interest building by the day.
The organisers of the GREAT British Week are also encouraging all expat clubs, organisations and individuals to get involved in the spirit of the occasion by staging events throughout the period. The British Club of Bahrain, the Dilmun Club and the Bahrain Rugby Football Club are all planning events that support the week while many British and Bahraini companies and retailers are organising activities that showcase the relationship between the UK and Bahrain.
Shops, hotels, restaurants and the leisure industry are also being actively encouraged to join in the spirit of the occasion.
