The winter months are known as camping season in Bahrain, a period when many Arab families stake out a plot near Sakhir in the island’s southern desert. By night, between the months of October and March, a shabby tent city appears and is transformed into a lively carnival of campfires and impromptu musical concerts. Burger vans and makeshift drinks stores ply their trade nearby.
Yet in recent years this stretch of wilderness has played host to a more lucrative form of tourism. Since 2004, Sakhir has been home to the Bahrain International Circuit, currently preparing to host the first leg of the annual Formula One motor racing championship in March. Last month, the desert skies were split by the roar of jet fighters and unmanned drones as the kingdom hosted its first industry air show.
More foreign visitors are expected in Sakhir in 2012, when the first attractions open at @Bahrain, a $3.5bn mixed-use business, technology and entertainment park being built on a 180-hectare site next to the motor circuit. The development is part of a concerted push by the Bahraini government to boost its income from “business tourism”.
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