Anyone visiting Bahrain for the first Grand Prix of the season last weekend, would have found it hard to get lost on the way to the venue. There are signs to the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) on practically every street corner, and even cut-outs of GP drivers pointing you in the right direction. But while the drivers themselves may have dispersed and the hangars emptied since Fernando Alonso's winning start, speak to anyone involved in the kingdom's tourism plans and they will tell you that the BIC is helping to put Bahrain on the map all year round.
The Grand Prix itself attracted almost 80,000 spectators to the circuit over the three day event, with around 50,000 of these arriving from abroad. These are impressive figures considering the relatively small number of flights coming into Bahrain from outside the region - Gulf Air, who are also the events main sponsor, fly twice daily from the UK, and BA once daily. Add to this a worldwide audience of nearly 500 million, and it represents an ideal shop window for the kingdom. Says Martin Whittaker, General Manager of the circuit,
"Television coverage of the BIC has done more to promote Bahrain than any number of new hotels ever could. We see the Grand Prix as being the hook that brings visitors to the BIC, but in truth it is the BIC that is becoming the hook for Bahrain itself."
The $150m (£86m) circuit won the Formula 1 Association's (FIA) award for the best organised race in its inaugural year, and continues to attract praise both for its state-of-the-art facilities and transport infrastructure. Says Martin,
"In the event's first year, no-one could be absolutely sure if the transport links would be able to cope with the sudden influx of visitors, but everything went surprisingly smoothly, and now that the new highway (directly linking the Kingdom's capital Manama with the circuit) has been built it will be even better."
This has proved fruitful not just for the one weekend of the year when the Grand Prix takes place, but in order to successfully market the circuit as a venue for corporate events. Martin admits that the circuit lacks accommodation on site, but says that the new highway means delegates staying in Manama are now less than twenty minutes from the venue. This accessibility has not been overlooked by conference organisers, with over 400 corporate events due to take place in the BIC this year alone.
"The general consensus for conferences has always been that delegates must be able to sleep, eat and meet all under one roof," says Martin. "But we are challenging that by delivering a unique venue with motorsport as a backdrop, offering excellent catering facilities and a far higher capacity than most hotels – and all this just minutes from the city."
Martin points outs that only around 25 days of the year are taken up by racing events (apart from the GP the circuit also stages various drag racing events, as well the World Final of the Formula BMW Championships), meaning that the venue is available for hire for the majority of the year. Of course a few years ago it looked unlikely that the Grand Prix would come to Bahrain at all, with Dubai mooted as the Middle East's F1 representatives. Says Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, Head of PR and Governmental Affairs at the circuit:
"We approached Bernie Ecclestone to discuss the possibility of a Bahrain Grand Prix, but there wasn't much interest at first. However we decided to go ahead and build the circuit anyway, so that the FIA could see our commitment, and eventually it was Bernie who contacted us wanting to make it happen. In contrast in Dubai there was a lot of talk about a Grand Prix, but not enough action to resolve issues like congested transport links."
Sheikh Salman denies that the kingdom is playing catch up with its UAE counterpart, stating that the overriding concern is to ensure that any development is sustainable, both in terms of infrastructure, and in making sure that local workers are involved in projects such as the building of the BIC. He also points out that the circuit is committed to kingdom-wide initiatives, such as sponsoring a safe-driving campaign, and to encourage people of all walks of life to visit the venue the BIC opens its doors on testing days for just 1 BD (around £1.50) per person. Even tickets for the race itself are reasonably priced (at least in Formula 1 terms), starting at 30 BD (around £45) for a weekend pass, and in the weeks leading up to the event the BIC place manned helpdesks in all of the kingdom's main hotels, giving advice on buying tickets, getting to the circuit, etc.
Martin Whittaker believes that while the first couple of years were all about getting the organisation right, they are now in a position to concentrate on the entertainment side of the venue. Delegates visiting the circuit have the chance to take part in hair-raising team building exercises (much in the same way as the Williams F1 Centre in Newbury, UK - see Mark Caswell's report), from rally karting to a 4x4 off road experience, where they can take a 6000cc Hummer through its paces. The BIC also boasts a vast entertainment plaza, complete with a traditional Dhow (an Arabian fishing boat), which can be used for functions on non race days. And while the size of the circuit may be considerably smaller than most other Grand Prix venues, it still towers over any hotel in terms of conference capabilities, with a total event capacity of 10,000 delegates. The Paddock Club alone is capable of holding up to 3,500 delegates, while the 300-odd capacity function rooms in the imposing Sakhir Tower enjoy 360o views of the circuit.
The staging of such a high profile event in Bahrain has undoubtedly helped to increase international awareness of the kingdom, with Bahrain now standing at 25th in the UN's list of countries with the best investment opportunities, up from 57th the previous year. And as Sheikh Slaman also points out, it can only be a positive thing in terms of changing foreigners' views of the Middle East in general.
"What the West is accustomed to seeing on the news about the Middle East, is not what we are about. Hopefully the Grand Prix will help to persuade people that Bahrain is an exciting, and more importantly safe place to visit."
Martin Whittaker admits that building the BIC was a big step for Bahrain, and recognises that there will be challenges ahead, with other circuits clamouring for a slot in an already packed F1 schedule. He is cagey to discuss the exact terms of BIC's contract with Formula 1, saying only that they have a 'long term agreement to host a round of the F1 Championship' - significantly this agreement also stipulates that Bahrain retains sole rights to stage a Grand Prix in the region.
Evidently Gulf Air are confident of the Grand Prix staying in Bahrain for several years to come, having this week confirmed that they have extended their sponsorship of the event until 2010. So for now the kingdom enjoys an enviable position within the world's most lucrative sporting spectacle - as the billboards promoting the Grand Prix proclaim, 'The heart of the Gulf is racing', and it shows no sign of taking a pit stop.
For more information visit bahraingp.com
Report by Mark Caswell
