BIGGEST EVER YALLA BAHRAIN! CALENDAR REVEALED
Ithmaar banking group renews sponsorship of festive and cultural events
The ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! calendar of festive and cultural events, which
aims to drum up excitement ahead of the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, was officially
launched. A sponsorship agreement between the Bahrain International Circuit
(BIC) and the Ithmaar banking group now sees the Kingdom ready to come alive
with a series of spectacular events, all of which will be free to attend.
On behalf of the Yalla Bahrain! sponsors, Ahmed Abdul Rahim, Managing Director,
Group Support, Ithmaar Bank, said: “Our association with the Yalla Bahrain!
programme is extremely important to us. Although the Ithmaar banking group, one
of the most diversified financial services groups in the region, is very much
global, we are keen to give something back to our host country. Our focus with
this event is squarely on the community, to put it at the forefront of the
preparations for the Grand Prix.”
Signing the agreement with the Ithmaar banking group, BIC Chief Operating
Officer, Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa added: “Yalla Bahrain! embodies the
spirit of the Grand Prix and the country. It is ‘Our Race’ and not only do these
events bring the sport closer to the people, but it shows the very best of what
Bahrain means to those who live and work here. It reflects our community and
puts the Kingdom of Bahrain firmly in the spotlight.”
The 2008 ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! calendar will begin on the evening of
Friday February 8, when Ferrari’s Brazilian hero Felipe Massa will headline at
the F1 Racing With A Star event at Seef Mall. Massa, the winner of last year’s
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, will be on hand to sign autographs and F1 fans can
also test their racing skills against him on a Formula One simulator set on a
virtual BIC circuit.
The Yalla Bahrain! F1 Football Fives event, in which local teams will battle it
out on a purpose-built pitch, will be held on Saturday February 9 at the BIC’s
car park. It is being held alongside a pre-season test open day, in which both
the Ferrari and the Toyota Formula One teams are taking part, Entrance to the
pre-season test open day, which also includes a host of family entertainments,
is BD1 per adult, while the ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! F1 Football Fives is
free to watch.
The first Yalla Bahrain! football event was staged in 2007 to enormous success,
with 32 teams taking part and VIP guests such as HH the Crown Prince Shaikh
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, tennis legend Boris Becker and three time Formula
One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart taking time out to see the action unfold.
Many charities also benefited from the occasion and the 2008 ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla
Bahrain! F1 Football Fives is sure to be a high point. Anyone wishing to enter a
team should contact roddy@khpconsulting.com or call +973 1781 4700
February promises to be a festival of colour as the ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain!
programme once again joins forces with leading Bahraini artist Abbas Al Mosawi
to create F1 Paint Bahrain. Al Mosawi has created over 40 Formula One-themed
sculptures which will be distributed to five workshops around the Kingdom, where
volunteer groups will decorate the sculptures to form a unique three-dimensional
collage. Among the groups taking part will be the Al Alhi University, the
University of Bahrain, the Bahrain Art Society and Bayan School, together with
BIC and Ithmaar banking group staff. Their creations will be on display from
February 21.
As the build-up towards the 2008 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix gathers pace in
March, an entirely new event will bring aspiring racing car designers, builders
and drivers together for the Yalla Bahrain! F1 Car Building Challenge. Around 30
teams of four to six people from schools, universities, clubs and businesses
will build racing ‘soap-box’ style cars that will be raced at a spectacular
event in Manama on March 14.
Meanwhile, the return of the popular ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! F1 Drive-In
Movie Night is scheduled to take place at the Bahrain International Circuit on
March 7. Last year saw the GCC premiere of the family comedy Mr. Bean’s Holiday
draw a crowd of 6,500 people to enjoy the experience of seeing the movie on a
giant screen from the comfort of their own cars in the traditional manner made
popular in the 1950s. This year another blockbuster experience is to be expected
and details will follow in the weeks ahead.
Traditionally Yalla Bahrain! has a rousing grand finale and 2008 is going to be
no exception when the ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain F1 Xtreme brings the programme
to a crescendo on the weekend of March 28 and 29. The seafront near the
Diplomatic Area in Manama will be the scene for urban sports and motor sport
with the opportunity to see star performers in action and even join in the fun.
Drift racing and stunt bikes will be bringing the sights and sounds of motor
sport, while there will be daredevil BMX bike stunts and skateboarding displays
– and masterclasses.
2006 Yalla Bahrain! Programme
o Motorsport Art Exhibition – Bahrain National Museum, opened by Honda F1 driver
Rubens Barrichello in the presence of His Highness the Crown Prince Shaikh
Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa
o Jenson Button Autograph Session – 1500 fans met Jenson at the Seef Mall on
Valentine’s Day
o F1 Street Parade, Manama Corniche – More than 15,000 people enjoyed the high
speed parades of Porsche Supercup, Lumina CSV and other racing cars on the
highway together with an air display and fireworks
o Jump Bahrain! – Parkour ‘streetrunners’ crossing Bahrain to arrive at the BIC
for the 2006 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in a TV spectacular
2007 ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! Programme
o F1 Autograph Session – More than 1000 fans met Honda F1 driver Christian Klien
at the Seef Mall
o F1 Football Fever – 32 teams played for 1500 spectators at the BIC raising
money for charity
o F1 in Colour – Giant 15m x 10m collage of images celebrating Formula One in
Bahrain created by more than 50 Bahraini community groups, schools, universities
and businesses
o F1 Zone – Interactive area with simulators, racing car displays, kids area and
ladies fashion displays drawing up to 8,000 people per day at the Al Aali Mall
o F1 Drift and Drive-In Movie Night – 6500 people enjoying drift racing displays
and the GCC premiere of Mr. Bean’s Holiday
o F1 Cavalcade – 9000 people on the December 17 Highway in Isa Town
2008 ITHMAAR GROUP Yalla Bahrain! Programme
o F1 Racing With A Star – Felipe Massa autograph session and simulator
challenge, Seef Mall, February 8
o F1 Football Fives – Football tournament on Public Day at F1 Testing, BIC,
February 9
o F1 Paint Bahrain – Art challenge with Abbas Al Mosawi, 10-21 February with
public display from 22 February
o F1 Car Building Challenge – Soap Box-style car building and racing March 1-14,
raceday March 14 in Manama
o F1 Drive-In Movie Night – Blockbuster movie and family entertainment, BIC,
March 7
o F1 Xtreme – Urban sports, motor sport displays, stunt bikes, drifting, live
performances and DJ competition together with family entertainment, Manama
seafront, March 28-29
