MORE than 500 Bahrainis have expressed interest in around 100 job opportunities currently being filled at the new exhibition and conference centre in Sakhir, the largest expo venue of its kind in the Middle East.
ASM Global, which won a bid as the managing operator for Exhibition World Bahrain, is looking to recruit a range of workers, comprised largely of Bahrainis.
Initial interviews for posts involving food and beverages, administration, marketing, business development, facilities, and IT, amongst others, took place yesterday at the current Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sanabis.
“Some of the jobs have been filled and we will know within the next two to three weeks what we have got as we call those we are interested in for second interviews,” people and culture deputy group director Deborah Rogers told the GDN.
“We’re predominantly targeting Bahrainis for our 100-member team. For the time being we are looking for 40 to 50 individuals as we progress in our recruitment plan,” she added. “We need to select the best person for the right position.”
Senior management is already in place, such as general manager Dr Debbie Stanford-Kristiansen, who recently won an international accolade alongside a selection of strong and smart global female leaders.
Sitting on a total area of 309,000sqm, the landmark development is set to bolster Bahrain’s position as a leading business events hub internationally with a total built-up area of 149,000sqm.
Costing $221.7 million, the new centre, is being built by Cebarco Bahrain, with an opening date to be announced shortly.
Interested jobless Bahraini couple Ali Yateem, 28, and Rawan Abdulmajeed, 24, showed up for the two-day opportunity to get recruited at the new centre.
“There are a lot of people dreaming of getting a job at the new centre and I hope that my experience as a former customer service assistant manager at a supermarket would be vital in my selection,” he said. “Life has been difficult as a jobless married person since I lost my job during the pandemic.”
His wife added that she also lost her job during the downturn in business caused by the global pandemic.
“I’m seeking a job in logistics and I see myself as a valuable asset to the new venue,” said Ms Abdulmajeed. “Whenever we manage to get this dream come true, I think that it would be time to look for our own home as a happy married couple.”
Meanwhile, jobless Bahraini Abbas Muslem, 28, said that working multiple jobs in recent years has helped him gain necessary skills to contribute to the centre’s success.
“I worked as a receptionist, cashier, security guard and call centre operator and the skills I have gained will certainly help me, inshallah, get a job at this very exciting venture,” he said.
“It could be a fresh start for me. As soon as I secure a reliable position I’m planning on settling down, getting married and having a family – my current circumstances make that impossible.”
As many as 300 new jobs will be created once the new centre is running at full steam following its opening in the fourth quarter of this year.
The centre with 95,000sqm of exhibition space over 10 halls, a 4,000-seat tiered auditorium, 95 meeting rooms, Royal and VIP majlis and a 250-seat restaurant, can host a range of events from exhibitions and conventions to concerts, live events, weddings and seminars.
The GDN reported last October that the 14th Middle East Geosciences Conference and Exhibition (GEO) and the Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference (MEOS) were announced as among the first major events taking place at the new venue on March 7-9, 2023.
The two co-located events are jointly organised by AAPG Middle East & Africa and Informa Markets, which also conducts the Autumn Fair, Bahrain’s biggest indoor shopping festival, and Jewellery Arabia, the largest jewellery and watch exhibition in the Middle East, in Bahrain every year.
Two thousand legislators from around the world, including 50 speakers, are set to converge to the centre next March when the country hosts the 146th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
As reported by the GDN, the kingdom’s ‘South Side Story’ also features massive projects by the Bahrain Real Estate Investment Company (Edamah), the real estate development arm of Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund.
The flagship is Bilaj Al Jazayer, a 1.5million sqm beach destination, whose masterplan was approved by Bahrain’s Higher Urban Planning Committee chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, earlier this month.
Along with investors and strategic partners, the masterplan entails the construction of a string of hotels, entertainment and leisure facilities, restaurants, and retail and residential components.
Two important facilities have already been announced: opening by 2024, the Avani and Tivoli hotels will be the first hospitality projects at Bilaj Al Jazayer.
Opening later this year along a 1.25km stretch of coastline is the five-star Jumeirah Khaleej Al Bahrain, anchoring the Al Sahel development, which Edamah believes will kick-off the activation of the south of Bahrain.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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