Airport Opening
Landmark terminal opening marks a new era for Bahrain International Airport
We profile the new Bahrain International Airport terminal, which opened in late January, and feature early images of the stunning new Bahrain Duty Free offer.
The new Passenger Terminal Building at Bahrain International Airport, which opened on 28 January, is one of the most ambitious aviation projects of recent years in the Middle East – with a powerful array of commercial and consumer services in an eye-catching environment.
The 210,000sq m terminal, which is four times the size of the existing facility, increases the airport’s capacity to 14 million passengers a year, having handled around 9 million in 2019.
The new terminal is the centrepiece of the US$1.1 billion Airport Modernization Program (AMP), one of the largest and most important projects in the Kingdom’s history and the largest investment in Bahrain’s aviation sector for more than 20 years.
There is just over 10,000sq m of core retail and dining space along with a further 2,000sq m for future proofing.
Bahrain Duty Free anchors the retail space, having captured the concessions for core category duty free (around 3,250sq m) and for speciality retail (1,500sq m).
Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) Chief Commercial Officer Ayman Zainal said: “BIA’s new duty free area will be four times larger than at the existing terminal, offering passengers an improved shopping experience. The new retail areas will be three times bigger, introducing 30 leading brands for the first time in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Airport tenants and partners will also benefit from greater support. Moreover, the new terminal’s boutique design means passengers can traverse the arrival and departure areas more quickly than at any other regional airport, which gives them more time to enjoy all the amenities the airport has to offer.”
Striking shots of the new Bahrain Duty Free offer, courtesy of the retailer
In an interview on the eve of opening, Bahrain Duty Free CEO & Board Member Bassam Al Wardi told us: “The new environment is bright, spacious, and with a wide perspective. It is beautifully laid out and is very different to what you will see anywhere else. It makes use of the high ceilings within the new terminal, and will catch the eye of our travellers. We believe we have one of the very best duty free shops in the region.”
That is borne out by the images on this page, of the store environments (and of the celebrations that accompanied their opening).
Categories that will benefit in particular include fragrances & cosmetics and fashion & accessories, including jewellery & watches.
“How we have partnered with the brands, who can now express themselves much better here, makes for a great story. We offer wider exposure than ever to beauty for example,” said Al Wardi, “in what I would liken to a high-end department store or premium mall of brands.”
Other retail partners include WHSmith and Relay (Lagardère Travel Retail), which manage two convenience stores each, one landside and one airside respectively. There are two pharmacies, with Boots in one space airside and local player Nasser Pharmacy landside.
Travelex and Global Exchange operate eight foreign exchange outlets between them, four airside and a further four landside.
The airport has also appointed three telecoms services partners, Batelco, Zain and STC, and will offer banking and ATM services too.
SSP is the anchor F&B partner, capturing two major packages via a tender. Between them, these cover 17 units across 3,600sq m. Brands include Illy (coffee); Camden Food Co and Upper Crust (bakery); Jamie Oliver’s Pizza and Deli (fine dining – a first from the UK celebrity chef for the region); BurgerKing and KFC (fast food); TGI Friday’s (family restaurant – and the only F&B outlet to sell alcohol); Food Garden (five outlets) Millie’s Cookies (dessert); Jaipur (India); Levito (Italian) and Ya Salam! (local Shawarma outlet). Mobile units for remote gates include Caffè Ritazza and ‘To Go’ concepts.
In addition to these brands a roof-top Terrace Café in the west pier will open with an outdoor offering by June. This will be temperature-controlled to deal with the hot weather, said BAC.
Bahrain Airport new terminal fact file
- Total floor Space: 210,000sq m
- Commercial space: 10,002sq m
- Duty free space: 3,300sq m in departures, 541sq m in arrivals
- Check-in: 104 counters (two halls for First and Business Class travellers)
- Passport control: 36 locations
- E-gates: 12 for departures, eight for arrivals
- Car parking: 5,500 spaces (including 2,700 in a multi-storey location at the airport)
- Capacity (annual): 14 million passengers; 130,000 air traffic movements; 4,700 bags per peak hour
Lumee is another local restaurant brand, forming one element in a Souq zone that supports local small & medium-sized enterprises. These offer local fashion, jewellery and art as well as food, beverages, souvenirs and Arabic fragrances. Lumee was developed following BAC’s stipulation in its tender documents that bids must include partnership with a local Bahraini restaurant.
In landside F&B, there are five outlets aimed at local businesses and franchises. Al Shaya will operate two Starbucks, a McDonald’s and a brand from Saudi Arabia called Al Baik. This is a fast food outlet that BAC said is hugely popular in Saudi Arabia, with plans to expand in other markets. Its planned opening generated surging interest on social media locally when it was announced. Further to this, the landside area includes a dessert concept Crepe Café, run by a local franchisee.
Other projects under the AMP include a Central Utilities Complex, short-stay multi-storey Cark Park, long-stay surface cark park, a Super Gate, a fire station, a Fuel Farm Complex housing three jet fuel tanks and a private aviation terminal serving businessmen and private aircraft owners.
Importantly, this state-of-the-art facility represents a step towards achieving the Kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030 diversification and sustainability goals, aimed at developing its position as a financial, cultural, and aviation centre.
The foundation stone for the new terminal was laid in 2016 under the patronage of the late Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, and the Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa (who is now Prime Minister).
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Bahrain Duty Free teams celebrate a landmark moment
The new Passenger Terminal was developed with sustainability in mind and is Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certificated, making it the largest green building in the Kingdom. BAC has also pledged to deliver a ‘Smart Airport’ to ensure seamless passage through the airport for travellers.
Aside from those noted above, other passenger services include a hotel & spa, an airport clinic, and two lounges, one for Gulf Air Business Class travellers and the other – ‘The Pearl’, which is operated by Hala Bahrain and serves First and Business Class passengers from other airlines.
Sense of Place is an important element aimed at engaging travellers with Bahraini culture. The design was aimed at creating a Bahraini look and feel. The terminal also houses the work of local artists, created as part of the Bahraini Art Program. These emphasise Bahrain's rich heritage, as well as its major artistic and cultural contributions.
In line with an agreement between BAC and Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), the airport will host regular art and cultural exhibitions at two Cultural Heritage Galleries. These house artworks and artefacts from the Bahrain National Museum’s extensive collection.
The power of great brands on full display at Bahrain Airport
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The Moodie Davitt eZine Issue 291 | 9 February 2021
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