Manama Four ministers have been summoned to appear before a parliamentary committee investigating alleged immoral activities in Bahrain’s tourism sector. The ministers of interior, culture and information, municipality affairs and industry and commerce will on Monday present their views to the five-member committee formed last week by the lower house. The committee looked into charges [...]
Natural pearls from Bahrain once fetched the highest prices among western jewellers, prompting the likes of Jacques Cartier to visit the small Gulf state to procure them. In its heyday in the early 1900s, the pearl industry employed an estimated 17,500 people and was the lynchpin of the Bahraini economy. These days, pearling is all-but [...]
Six tourism officials are among 17 men who will appear before a Bahrain court in two months for their involvement in a major corruption scandal, it emerged yesterday. The six Bahrainis, who work for the Culture and Information Ministry’s Tourism Directorate, are accused of accepting bribes from investors of hotels outlets to turn a blind [...]
This tiny Gulf island nation is sick of its reputation as a seedy off-shore Las Vegas and a hotspot of sin for Saudis, so it’s starting to rein in the booze. Already it’s flooded with Saudis looking for tamer fare they can’t get at home in their ultraconservative kingdom – Hannah Montana and heavy metal. [...]
Bahrain’s tourism industry looks set to consolidate its already strong position at the heart of the Kingdom’s economy, though there is some debate as to what direction the sector should take. According to the latest study by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the sector will contribute around $1.7bn to Bahrain’s economy this year, [...]
Travel agency associations from the Gulf signed an agreement Tuesday to form a joint lobby group with its headquarters in Abu Dhabi, to promote and protect their interests as the region expands its tourism industries. Representatives from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Sharjah have joined the newly formed Gulf Travel Association, which will be headed [...]
Island Reliant Upon Debauched Visits From Thirsty Saudis Looks to Clean Up Every weekend, bumper-to-bumper traffic blocks the causeway into this small island nation as visitors from nearby Saudi Arabia flock to delights unavailable at home: movie theaters, bars and, for some, commercial sex. With few other attractions, Bahrain’s booming tourism industry thrives on the [...]
Gulf Cooperation Council immigration chiefs are expected to approve a single visa application system for Gulf states, Kuwait’s immigration chief said. The visa will enable visitors to tour all of the six GCC member countries, Kuwaiti General Administration for Immigration Director-General Kamel al-Awadhi told the Kuwait news agency KUNA on Sunday. Gulf states will also [...]
A multi-million dinar “waterfront city” in Seef will include luxury homes, shops and leisure facilities, according to the company behind the project.
Marsa Al Seef is being billed as one of the country’s most exclusive addresses and will cover an area of 26 million square feet.
A new government-backed taxi service designed to eradicate cheating on fares will hit Bahrain’s roads in December, officials confirmed yesterday. It will operate custom-made, metered vehicles, fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology and connected electronically to a control centre, to ensure passengers are not overcharged. All will have wheelchair access, said Economic Development Board [...]
