Focus on Bahrains entertainment sector to support tourism: expert

Mohammed Al-Muharraqi, founder and CEO of Tarteeb Events, Advertising, Talent Management Company in Bahrain, has called for greater attention to the entertainment industry in Bahrain based on the unique features of the kingdom’s cultural and open society, costs and national human resources.

“This industry is an important part of the tourism sector and a major source of GDP. It has the potential to develop into new and diverse areas including sports entertainment, virtual reality, exciting live shows, and adventures that the audience has never experienced before,” he explained.

The need to invest in creating more innovative leisure initiatives in the kingdom was highlighted. “This is especially important during short holidays such as weekends or public holidays. We often hear of residents travelling to nearby countries on the ground that there is nothing to do in Bahrain,” he said.

In light of this new opportunity, Tarteeb has launched an events program in Bahrain which aims to support the creation of a new tourism sector in the kingdom.

“The program will support the creation of a new tourism sector to attract residents and visitors, while supporting national efforts to promote Bahrain as an ideal destination for tourists and entertainment professionals among others,” explained Al Muharraqi.

The first event within the program was the largest stand-up comedy show of its kind in Bahrain, which concluded on March 23 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Manama.

The unprecedented success of similar events organised by Tarteeb in the kingdom recently confirms the existence of huge opportunities for growth in the entertainment industry. “People are actively looking for interesting programs where they can have a laugh. Hence, it’s important for our events to be oriented towards the younger generation by analysing their trends and needs, and meeting them in the best way possible,” he said.

He emphasised the role of young entrepreneurs in the innovation and entertainment industry. "When I started to work in event management in 2002, I was still a university student and decided to establish Tarteeb in 2008, with its official establishment being 2011. It has been a long hard journey to success, but I persevered and focused on innovative ideas and entry into new fields, the most important being the entertainment industry," he said.

The Tarteeb team is known to consist of young Bahrainis who are learning to create unique patterns of business that rely almost exclusively on entertainment. “This includes organising the largest annual gathering for video games, and embracing talent and influencers on social networking sites. In addition, our team is committed to organising exhibitions, conferences, events and designing and building suites with ad innovative touch”, he concluded.