Manama: The Dragon City retail and wholesale development will open in December.
“The inauguration of the project will be part of festivities marking Bahrain’s National Day and the Bahraini-China Cultural Week,” Chinamex vice-chairman Z J Kung was quoted as saying in a report in our sister paper Akhbar Al Khaleej.
He pointed out that 780 shopping outlets would be complete by September 28, adding that all registration procedures will then be finalised for Chinese companies to start their activities in Bahrain.
He said that The Dragon City which covers 115,000sqm of land with 55,000sqm retail and wholesale area, would also serve Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar, in addition to Iraq in the future.
“The city will be a major destination for tourism, retail selling and leisure, with visitors expected to exceed three million annually,” he said.
He said that security, stability and strategic location were major factors in choosing Bahrain as a gateway to the Arabian Gulf region.
He lauded Bahrain’s flexible investment and deregulated free market, which encourages investment, expecting 500 Chinese companies to establish units in Bahrain.
The city will be a purveyor of jobs and a source of attraction for Chinese tourists who will flock to Bahrain.
He reassured Bahraini traders and investors, saying that the Chinese would not come to compete with retailers.
“We bring China to Bahrain instead of going to China which would reduce costs and enhance the quality of products,” he said.
He said that the Dragon City would also be a major catalyst in attracting Saudi and Kuwaiti investors in particular.
He added that the new hub would support Bahrain’s strenuous efforts to diversify the economy.
“We haven’t come just for trade but also for friendship,” he said, looking forward to being accepted by Bahraini citizens and businessmen.
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