His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa Inaugurates Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay

His Excellency Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, stressed that Bahrain's continual maintenance of a high level of confidence among investors is a result of the country’s open economic orientation under the rational guidance of the Kingdom’s wise leadership, which has led to the establishment of a secure, flexible and attractive economic environment for foreign capital.

Patronizing the official opening ceremony of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay this evening (Sunday, March 1, 2015), at the property located in the heart of the capital Manama, His Excellency said: "Through the continuous inbound flow of foreign capital and the embracing of numerous mega investment projects, Bahrain proves that its economy is built on solid and sound foundations and offers a high level of competitive advantage.”

Upon cutting the ribbon to officially inaugurate the Hotel in a ceremony attended by a number of senior officials from within and outside Bahrain, as well as prominent businessmen and local and regional media figures, HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa expressed his confidence in the contribution of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay to the national economy, as a mega investment project that adds real value and considerable momentum to the development process.

"In addition to its economic contribution, this project has stated job creation for local talent as one of its operational goals. Hotels such as these will encourage more Bahrainis to work in the hospitality sector, which will support the government’s plans to strengthen this industry, as evidenced in the recent commissioning of the Ministry of Labour to draw up a plan for the re-establishment of the Faculty of Hospitality in order to prepare and qualify staff to meet the specialized needs of first-class hotels and restaurants. This will undoubtedly contribute positively to increasing the Bahrainization rate specifically in this sector, and will support the efforts aimed at making the Bahraini citizen – trained and qualified to a high standard – the favourite choice for employers in the private sector,” said His Excellency.

His Excellency continued that the tourism industry, being one of the most promising and vital industries that can help the economy rely less on oil revenues, which are subject to fluctuations of the global market, is a key source of income and would be a major player in the economic future of Bahrain, especially as the Kingdom possesses the elements that could make it an attractive tourism destination.

His Excellency added: "We encourage the establishment of major projects in the capital Manama as the financial and economic centre of the Kingdom. To further support the government’s vision for the diversification of sources of income through investment in tourism, we will soon announce a package for development to be carried out in the southern region, which will be supervised by the public sector represented by a subsidiary of the government-owned Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the investment arm of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in partnership with major private sector companies working in this field."

HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa also congratulated the Board of Directors of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and the executive management operating in Bahrain, on the occasion of the opening of the group’s latest Hotel in the region that – due to its monumental facade and expansive views of the Arabian Gulf – is set to be a new landmark added to the extensive and rapidly developing urban skyline in the Kingdom of Bahrain. His Excellency expressed his good wishes to the group to achieve success in its future projects and to provide the finest levels of service that Four Seasons is known for throughout the world to residents and visitors in Bahrain.

The five-star, 68-storey Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay features 273 exceptionally spacious guest rooms, seven options for indoor-outdoor dining and beverages, five swimming experiences with six super-cabanas, a spa with 17 treatment rooms, two magnificent ballrooms and a Sky Bridge with meeting rooms.

During the ceremony, Greg Pirkle, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Kingdom of Bahrain – its leadership, government and people – for their support and assistance on the project, and also thanked HE Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdullah Al-Khalifa for patronizing the official opening ceremony.

Pirkle said: "Bahrain is a very strategic market for us in the GCC, and we are thrilled to have been able to enter it with our strong local partners who share our vision and have helped deliver a truly iconic property.”

Pirkle also stressed the determination of all those involved in this project to contribute to the success of the economic vision of Bahrain, in addition to playing an important role in promoting the local hospitality industry and encouraging Bahrainis to work in this promising sector.

He added: "As always we are keen to offer our guests a service standard that is exemplary, coupled with the distinct hospitality drawn from the people of the region. We are very pleased to say that by hiring a mix of local and international talent we hope Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay will bring the best of both worlds to Bahrain.”

Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay is the group’s fourth project in the GCC following those established in Riyadh, Doha and Dubai, the 11th in the Middle East and North Africa, and the 95th globally.

Picture above:  Four Seasons Senior Vice President, Hotel Operations, Europe, Middle East and Africa Christian Clerc; Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay General Manager Greg Pirkle; Regional Vice President and General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Doha Rami Sayess