HM the King's personal representative opens BIAS 2016

Manama, Jan. 21 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has deputised HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King’s Personal Representative and Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee of the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS 2016), to open BIAS 2016 at the Sakhir Air Base. Upon arrival, HH Shaikh Abdulla was welcomed by HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman Al Khalifa, the son of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister. He was also welcomed by ministers, senior military and civilian state officials, heads of the participating delegations and the kingdom’s guests from brotherly and friendly countries. HH Shaikh Abdulla extended sincere congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad for the outstanding success of the organisation of BIAS 2016, describing the event as a milestone accomplishment that adds to the achievements attained by the kingdom during HM the King’s prosperous era, and contributes to meeting Bahrain’s aspirations in spurring its economy through investing in the exhibitions industry and aviation. HM King Hamad’s patronage of BIAS, directives and follow-up have contributed to the success of the event and massive international participation in it, he said. He added that successive successes of BIAS has earned its local, regional and international praise, and promoted Bahrain as a hub for specialised international exhibitions with a prestigious reputation. HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad stressed that the exhibitions industry is among the sectors that support the economy, explaining that the Bahrain International Air Show, for example, revitalises many sectors, such as economic activities and tourism as the event attracts lovers of recreational activities and shows from all age categories. HM the King’s Personal Representative expressed thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications and BIAS Supreme Organising Committee for their outstanding efforts, noting that their accumulated experience in preparing for the show has helped attract mega aviation companies. He paid similar tribute to the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Information and Parliament Affairs and the organising committees for their effective and cooperation as team and round-the-clock work to ensure the event achieves the highest levels of success. HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad lauded the performance of the Bahraini competencies working in BIAS, noting that thanks to them, Bahrain is capable of hosting and organising mega exhibitions. He extended profound thanks and appreciation to the kingdom’s guests from brotherly and friendly countries for their massive participation in BIS 2016. Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Kamal bin Ahmed delivered the following speech: "Your Highness, Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. On behalf of the Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee, HH Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa,I am delighted to welcome you to the fourth edition of the Bahrain International Airshow. "As the Minister responsible for transportation and telecommunications in the Kingdom of Bahrain, I can tell you first-hand that aviation is a crucial pillar of our development, and we are investing significantly in numerous enhancements across infrastructure, regulations, training and international standards.Indeed, we have a strong aviation history that goes back to the early 19th century and coincidentally today, 21st January, we are celebrating Concorde’s 40 years anniversary of its first schedule flight to Bahrain. We are also delighted to celebrate the 200 year Bahrain/UK relationship. "To the future, our biggest infrastructure project, the Airport Modernisation Programme, is now well underway which will take us to handle around 15 million passengers and ensure that we are future proofed for the next 15 years. "Of course, BIAS is also a key element to Bahrain’s aviation development. Since its inception in 2010, the airshow has continued to grow from strength to strength and, following an extremely successful show in 2014, is now fully established on the global air show calendar. A unique event, BIAS is a commercially focussed Airshow that draws on Bahrain’s strategic location as the ‘gateway to the gulf’. It offers its elite list of aerospace business participants the opportunity for high-level networking opportunities in exclusive surroundings. "It has successfully brought together the aerospace supply chain enabling them to do business effectively and with ease, reflecting Bahrain’s status as a regional centre for transport and trade. The strong presence of leading global aerospace and defence companies has signalled the show’s success and reflected Bahrain’s status as a pioneer in the aerospace industry in the Middle East. "However, the industry is constantly changing with new ground-breaking technologies, acquisitions & mergers, and a stronger desire for new business opportunities. As a result, we are constantly developing and creating new high-level networking platforms to improve the overall experience. "I am pleased to say, that this edition of the show is set to be the biggest and best yet, with 139 companies and 75 delegations in attendance. "Our feature pavillion, which provides exhibition space for companies to display their products and services, has grown by nearly 50% from 2014 and we have greater international presence than ever before with 34 countries from around the world being represented at the show, along with a strong presence from local Bahrain-based companies. "On top of this, our world leading air display continues to be a key strength of the show, with over 100 international, civil, commercial and defence aircraft either flying or on static display. "All of these things will help ensure BIAS16 is a success, but none of it could happen without His Majesty, who had the vision and leadership to launch this Airshow in 2010 and to make it the success that it is today. I also wish to thank you all for your on-going support. So let me finally take this opportunity to thank you for that, and to wish you a very successful show." About BIAS 2016: The fourth edition of the Bahrain International Air Show (BIAS 2016) is organised by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, in collaboration with the Royal Bahraini Air Force and Farnborough International Ltd. High level delegations from KSA, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Turkey, USA, Czech Republic, Georgia, India, Russia, France, Hungary, UK, US, Turkey, and Brazil will be attending the show to take part in scheduled meetings, represented by Ministers of Transport and Economy, Civil Aviation chiefs, CEOs of airline companies and senior executives from government and private sectors. Several conferences and networking opportunities are also being held during BIAS 2016 including an ‘Air Transport in the 21st Century Conference’ which will be held on the second day of the show. Speakers include Ahmed Al Nemah, Acting Undersecretary for Civil Aviation Affairs at MTT, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, and Mohammed Al Binfalah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company. A seminar on the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) new Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA) programme will be held on the third day, and is expected to be attended by around 60 participants. A Hosted Buyer programme is also being introduced, which will provide participating companies scheduled itineraries in which they can meet prospective clients. In addition to the conference programme, the show will host a feature pavilion which will feature areas for numerous countries including Kuwait, UK (through the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), USA, France, India, Russia, Sudan, and Turkey, as well as additional companies in the aviation industry allowing trade visitors to see their latest products and learn about their services. Saudi Arabia will have a notably large presence, with over 10 companies participating under the umbrella of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, while the UK area will be dedicated to celebrating 200 years of Bahrain- British relations and major milestones in their aviation partnership, including the 40th anniversary of Concorde’s inaugural flight into Bahrain on 21 January 1976. Over 100 aircraft are scheduled to be on display at the trade show, with a strong contingent of both commercial and military aircraft including Gulf Air, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways and first-time exhibitor Kuwait Airways from the commercial side and Turkish Aircraft Industries, RAF, US Air force and US Navy, and the Indian Airforce on the military side. Daily aerobatic flying displays will feature the Saudi Hawks, UAE’s Al Fursan, India’s Sarang Helicopter Display Team, Mark Jeffries and the Twister Aerobatics team. The Bahrain Defence Force Special Forces parachute team will also participate. Validations have been conducted over the past few days as the teams’ preparations started upon their arrival in Bahrain. On the public side, a wide variety of on-the-ground attractions and activities will be available for the whole family and include exciting games and aviation simulators. Different musical performances will also be hosted on each day as well as an array of street performers including magicians and stilt walkers. All public area activities are held in the dedicated public area adjacent to the trade area. Ticketholders can access the public area via the Bahrain International Circuit, where shuttles will be available to transfer them to the public area. More information can be found on www.bahraininternationalairshow.com, and by following the Airshow social media accounts:@bahairshow (twitter) and @bahraininternationalai