BAHRAIN’S premier garden show will make its highly-anticipated return after a three-year hiatus, aiming to bloom brighter than ever before and provide a matchmaking environment for local horticultural enterprises to grow.
The Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) will be held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad from March 9 to 12 at Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir.
The 16th edition of the annual event is expected to draw more than 49,000 visitors from over 25 countries.
A total of 176 exhibitors, 68 of them Bahrainis, will be showcasing the best of their floral talents. The remaining 108 exhibitors include participants from 25 countries, including the UK, Japan, Saudi Arabia, India and Egypt.
The exhibition is being held under the theme ‘Water: Regenerating Life’, which was the theme intended to be used for the 2020 edition cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The show was also cancelled in 2021 and 2022.
“A lot of work has been put in to give the theme its due,” said National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) secretary-general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa during a Press conference held yesterday at the Isa Cultural Centre in Juffair.
“Several lectures, workshop, and talks that focus on water management, latest researches and good water practices will be held as part of the show.”
No pre-registration will be necessary for any lecture or workshop, and participation will be open to all.
The exact timings of these workshops will be announced on the BIGS social media posts closer to the event.
There will also be an educational zone for children known as ‘Khlasi’s Garden’ which aims to introduce young boys and girls to the world of gardening.
Shaikha Maram also expressed her keenness to help small Bahraini businesses, confident the event will help them make connections with foreign businesses to help them grow.
“We have put in a lot of efforts to organise meetings for businesses from abroad,” she said.
“Thanks to the support of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry and NIAD, there will be a ‘matchmaking event’ for exhibitors and businesses to help them make connections they otherwise would not have the opportunity to make.”
At the event, the Bahrain Garden Club (BGC) will also recognise the winners of its annual Flower and Vegetable Show competition, with several prizes for best school gardens, best community gardens and best home gardens up for grabs.
“We have embraced the theme of the show,” said BGC chairperson Zahra Abdulmalik.
“We live in a desert country and so we need to take care to use water efficiently, as well as take care of the plants such as cacti which are unique to our climate.”
Club judges visited residences and school gardens from February 5 to 19, choosing three winners in each category.
Among the prizes is the highly-coveted Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, which features the best community gardens in the Capital Governorate, with more then 70 entries from places such as Manama, Juffair and Mahooz vying for the accolade.
“We hope these prizes will get adults and children alike interested in gardening and inspire them to embrace everything that is beautiful around us,” said Ms Abdulmalik.
The BIGS will open to the public on March 9 at 1pm following a private opening ceremony and will remain open until 9pm.
From the second day, the event will be open from 10am to 9pm. Entry is free and open to all members of the public, and the show will be held in Hall Five and Six.
For more information, visit www.bigs.com.bh
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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