The British Chamber of Commerce Bahrain (BCCB) staged its annual Bahrain F1 Grand Prix Event with VIP guest of honour Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) chief executive, in the gardens of the British Embassy in Manama.
BCCB, widely recognised in Bahrain and the UK as a leading impartial business sector group, staged a special question-and-answer session hosted by Laurence Jones, BIC’s marketing and communications senior manager, who regularly writes F1 reports and race analysis for GDN Media.
Shaikh Salman was joined on the panel by British Ambassador Alistair Long and BCCB chairman Khalid Al Zayani and discussed the business ties between the two countries, the early days of the former Bahrain British Business Forum, the current success of the British-based McLaren F1 team owned by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, and the different sites under consideration before Sakhir was chosen as the home of motorsport in the Middle East now celebrating its 21st birthday.
“The event has always been a popular favourite with BBBF members and their guests,” said Paula Boast, BCCB vice chair. “We were delighted to be able to continue to host through the new British Chamber.
“It really demonstrates the importance of the UK-Bahrain trade relationship at all levels, for business and for our community.
“It shines a light on how Bahrain continues to be a role model in the F1 and international sports arena. That is borne out by the race’s longevity which mirrors the annual occurrence of this event.
“We are particularly grateful to our support partners McLaren and GBI as well as Intercontinental Bahrain, Movenpick and Raffles Al Areen. We look forward to welcoming everyone again next year.”
The event included a curry buffet and live BBQ stations with selected beverages and concluded with a free raffle draw with exciting prizes, including the last grandstand tickets to the 2025 race.
managingeditor@gdnmedia.bh
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