Crowds flocked to the Bahrain International Endurance Village in Zallaq yesterday for the first day of the Bahrain International Animal and Agriculture Production Show – Mara’ee 2025, which will run until December 13.
The show was officially inaugurated on Monday evening by His Majesty King Hamad, with a number of heritage performances to celebrate the occasion, as highlighted in the GDN.
Families from across Bahrain and the GCC, as well as students from different schools around the country, arrived as soon as the venue opened to members of the public.
This year’s edition features a record number of local and international exhibitors with thousands of animals on display from Bahrain, GCC, and beyond, including cats, dogs, fancy birds, pigeons, chickens, cows and more.
Local favourites such as horses, camels, falcons and salukis are also prominently featured, alongside traditional exhibitions highlighting Bahraini culture.
For the first time in the event’s history, a Rabbit Exhibition, featuring some of the biggest and rarest breeds, is also being held.
The bunnies proved to be a very successful addition, being very popular especially among children, who got a chance to play with them and learn about the different varieties, along with how to care for the creatures.
Bahrain Rabbit Breeders Association member Maryam Al Bastaki stated that rabbit lovers in the country were delighted at the chance to finally show off their pets. “In total, we are hosting 12 different rabbit breeds,” Ms Al Bastaki told the GDN. “We have a lot of giant breeds on display that have been very popular with visitors, especially the German Giant, Giant Papillon and the Flemish Giant. These are the kind of rabbits you rarely see in Bahrain!
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“The smaller species have been very popular with the children too, especially the Lionhead, a tiny species of rabbit that looks like it has a lion’s mane.
“We also want to educate visitors about misconceptions they make have about rabbits. Fior example, you can keep rabbits indoors by training them to use a litterbox. And, they need a diet that consists of more than just vegetables too.”
Meanwhile, the fancy bird show remains as popular as ever, with people heading for the attraction in droves for the chance to interact with some feathery favourites.
This part of show is bigger than before, with more than 2,000 birds on display. Breeds such as Macaws, Conures, African Greys, Canaries, Finches and Ring Necked Parakeets are still as prominently on display as ever but there are also rare breeds, including the Moluccan Cockatoo and Red Tailed Black Cockatoo, that have intrigued visitors.”
Bahrain Bird Society chairman Yusuf Al Asfoor told the GDN that more local bred birds are on display than in previous editions.
“We have a lot of birds today that are on the list of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),” explained Mr Al Asfoor. “By breed ing these birds locally, Bahrain is playing a major role in their conservation, not only on a regional scale, but internationally.
“We also have some species today that are being showcased for the first time, not just in Bahrain, but across the Middle East as a whole.
“There will also be a special exhibition on how we breed these species, what kind of cages they require, what materials to use in their nest needs, what food they need, and more.
“We want to educate people in general about birds and let potential owners know that they need to consider how much time they can spend with them each day because they require a lot of care and attention.”
Almost 750 pigeons are also on display in an exhibition run by the Bahrain Pigeons Committee. Its vice-president and well-known breeder Najeeb Rafie told the GDN that this year’s exhibition features a dozen types of pigeons, all of which will be judged over the course of the next few days.
“We started judging the birds, with each variety having its own specification and judging criteria,” added Mr Rafie. “There have been lots of visitors, families and enthusiasts from across the GCC, especially from Saudi Arabia. They are all enjoying themselves!”
Finally, visitors also have the opportunity to witness the rare Moroccan Saluki, a rare, fast and powerful species that can withstand temperatures of up to 50C and run up to 70 kmph.
It’s the first time this type of the captivating canine has been placed on display at Mara’ee.
The event is free and open to all from 9am to 9pm on all days. For more information, visit @maraeebahrain on social media.
nader@gdnmedia.bh
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