Under the patronage of Tourism Minister, Fatima bint Jaffer Al Sairafi, the second edition of the Manama Gold Festival 2023 was launched last night, in the presence of Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiques (BACA), BTEA board members, Dr. Nasser Qaedi CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA), members of Souq Al Manama development committee, representatives of the business community, and gold traders.
The tourism minister placed the golden bar on a podium, lighting up the area for the festival’s official inauguration. Starting from April 13 and ending May 27, the festival will see the participation of more than 300 gold shops in Souq Al Manama, providing weekly, instant, and grand prizes, as well as informative and artistic installations about Bahraini gold history by Bahraini artists and designers, hanging festive elements between gold shops, organizing a pop-up market, and hosting live music shows.
The inauguration event included a short video highlighting Bahrain’s heritage and Souq Al Manama’s legacy in the gold industry, as well as the primary elements and activations for the Manama Gold Festival in 2023. Following the opening ceremony, the minister went on a tour of the Souq Al Manama, where she saw a variety of artistic works by Bahraini artists depicting gold craftsmanship in the kingdom.
On this occasion, the tourism minister stated: “The Manama Gold Festival presents an inspiring contribution in fostering the tourism strategy goals (2022-2026) to increase the contribution of the tourism sector to GDP, highlight Bahrain’s position as a global tourist hub, increase the number of targeted countries to attract more tourists, and diversify tourism products, by showcasing Souq Al Manama as one of the oldest markets regionally and globally, with authenticity and a long history of gold making for decades.”
Dr. Nasser Qaedi, CEO of BTEA, added: “We are proud to launch the second version of the Manama Gold Festival, in which we seek to highlight the magnificent history of Souq Al Manama in the gold industry and its uniqueness around the globe, leveraging on the success of the first version. This festival will surely be a superb addition to BTEA’s events agenda, which focuses on the diversity of tourism products and the revival of Souq Al Manama and draws an increasing number of tourists from all over the world.
All citizens, residents, tourists and visitors can learn more about the activities of this festival through calendar.bh platform or the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority’s social media accounts.
Source: Bahrain News Agency
