HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 1
HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine Lifestyle - Culture
Entertainment - Events
Your Local Bahraini Guide!
Jan 2009 - Volume 1 - Issue 7
Events & Events &
HappeningsHappenings We cover events at the We cover events at the
BIC, National Day events, BIC, National Day events,
and more!and more!
ElhamElham We speak to Ali Al
Saeed about the
creative arts group
Places to Go
Things to Do
Events
Tradition
And much more!
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 2
HalaBahrainHalaBahrain MagazineMagazine Lifestyle - Technology -
Entertainment - Events ©
Happy New Year!Happy New Year! Dear Readers,
Wow; after a busy month, we manage to get a bit of a rest to
start off 2009! December was full of events and happenings,
and with every other day being a holiday meant everyone
had a chance to go out and enjoy! January is going to be
more of a calmer month, and there is still quite a bit to do;
events at the BIC, Elham events, the Autumn Fair; read all
about it on the upcoming events page.
This month we’ve interviewed Ali Al Saeed, a founder of the
creative arts group, Elham; if you don’t already know Elham,
they’re one of the very few organizations in Bahrain catering
to artists. Read the interview, and come down for their event
at the end of this month!
We’re also proud to note the achievements of the Bahrain
football team at the start of GCC 19! A terrific start, and with
your support, hopefully they’ll make it all the way to the finals!
Again, we would love to hear from you about anything; send
us your emails with thoughts about the magazine, letters,
ideas, and let us know what you’re thinking!
Till next time,
Ammar Al-Aradi
Editor In Chief
The Team
Editor-in-Chief
Ammar Al-Aradi
Creative Director
Fardan Raffi
Public Relations
Amal Fareed
Copyright Information © All Rights reserved. This
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without the written permission
of the publisher. Liability: While
every care has been taken in
the preparation of this
magazine, the publishers
cannot be held responsible for
the accuracy of the
information herein, or any
consequence arising it.
HalaBahrain is a fully registered
online publication with the
Bahrain Ministry of Information,
under registration number
EQHBH210
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Editorial
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 3
Autumn Fair
Location: Bahrain Exhibition Center
Timing: 10:00am-1:00pm
4:00pm-10:00pm
Contact: +973 - 17550033
News, Events News, Events
& Happenings& Happenings
January is definitely quieter compared to
the busy time we had last month! But again,
that is a good thing, as we all need to
relax a little from Decembers schedule!
This month there’s still quite a bit to do,
but on a more relaxed note. A good number of events going on at the Circuit, ranging from the
4th round of the Batelco 2000cc challenge and National Sprint, Round 3 of the Drag Championship,
and more notably, the Grand Racing Weekend, which should be a fun day out for the whole family,
with the GP2 Asia Series, Speedcar Series, kart zone, kids area, music, and much more.
Also, we’re hoping you haven’t managed to spend your December salary yet, because the Autumn
Fair is back in town! Electronics, food, furniture, cosmetics and much more from 27 countries, turning
the Bahrain Exhibition Center into a global village. Whether you want to or not, you’re bound to find
something to make you spend your hard earned cash. For those who would rather use their mind
rather than their wallet, head down to the Bahrain Chess Club to witness some of the world’s top
players battle it out in the game of kings.
Art lovers should head down to Albareh Art Gallery to catch the Elham gathering; this month features
paintings by Anne Thackery, live drawing by Moh’d Al Mahdi, a reading by author Reena Abraham,
and music by Padmini Rao. Finally, for those who need to expend whatever energy they have left,
visit Al Areen Park for a Bahrain Road Runners event; a 10km race to help support the park (there is a
3km race for those under 16, so bring your kids along!).
21-29 January
Upcoming
Bahrain Grand Racing Weekend
Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit
Contact: +973-17450000
23 January - 3 February
27 January
Bahrain Drag Championship - Round 3
Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit
Contact: +973-17450000
28-30 January
Elham Monthly Gathering
Location: Albareh Art Gallery
Timing: 7:00pm-10:00pm
Contact: [email protected]
International Chess Championship
Location: Bahrain Chess Club
Contact:
9 January
Batelco 2000cc Racing Challenge
Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit
Contact: [email protected]
23-24 January
Al Areen Run (Bahrain Road Runners)
Location: Al Areen Park
Time: 1:00pm
Email: [email protected]
6 February
Batelco 2000cc Racing Challenge
Location: Bahrain Int’l Circuit
Contact: [email protected]
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 4
Got something to say? Anything specific you’d like to see in Got something to say? Anything specific you’d like to see in
the magazine? Or maybe you just love our magazine? Hate it? the magazine? Or maybe you just love our magazine? Hate it?
Or just need someone to talk to? Whatever it is, let us know, Or just need someone to talk to? Whatever it is, let us know,
email us on: email us on: [email protected]@halabahrain.com
————
FROM: Maher Al-Mallah
SUBJECT: Nice Effort
Hi all, really nice effort from
all of the team. Wish you all
the best!
Much appreciated, Maher!
We also wish you the best in
whatever you do! :)
————
FROM: Karim Miknas
SUBJECT: Well Done
Well Done!!! Every issue gets
better and better!!!
Thanks Karim! We strive to
improve every issue; if
there’s anything you think
would make the magazine a
better one, feel free to let us
know at any time!
————
FROM: Hisham Khalifa
SUBJECT: Good stuff
Good stuff as usual… Keep it
up!
Thanks Hisham… Err.. We
seem to be getting quite a
lot of compliments this
month. What’s going on?
————
FROM: Hailey
SUBJECT: Error!
Your most recent issue states
that "December 2008 has
been dubbed as the
‘Golden Month’ because of
[...] New Years, etc ...".
In fact, New Years day is on
January 1, 2009, which is not
only not in this month, it is
not even in this year! Unless
you are talking about the
Islamic new year, which is
not really celebrated, and
so shouldn't count.
Very clever! We actually put
that in there on purpose to
see who would notice, and
we’re giving away a million
dinars to whoever does spot
it first! Please make your way
to our prize-collection office,
located in Anchorage,
Alaska to collect your
winnings. You have one hour
to collect, after which the
prize becomes void.
————
FROM: James Pearce
SUBJECT: Halwa
Me again! Tried Halwa as
you guys suggested, and I
must say, it’s very different
than what we’ve been used
to! Took a while to get used
to it but eventually we fell in
love with it! Thanks for a
great tip!
Glad you enjoyed it! Now
head over to the Souq (as
we’ve covered it this issue)
to get your fill of Halwa and
tons of other Bahraini
snacks!
HalaBahrain MailHalaBahrain Mail Mail
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 5
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 6
2000cc Racing Challenge2000cc Racing Challenge With the 2000cc racing challenge well underway, the BIC saw the third round
of the races on the 19th of December; with the CRC National Sprint on the
same day, the track was busy with people and the sound of roaring engines
and cars zooming down the track.
Not a regular visitor to the BIC? Make sure to catch this months races, and even
race your vehicle on the track with the National Sprint if you think you have
what it takes (just bring your car/bike down to the track, and carry a helmet
along!). See you there!
Events
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 7
Events
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 8
On the 16th of December, Bahrain
celebrated it’s 37th national day. The
whole country was lit up with bright
lights to note the occasion, and there
were different events and festivities
going on around the country, from
traditional music and dance at the
Arad Fort, to street carnivals in
Manama, music concert in the Isa
Town Stadium, fireworks, and a general
feeling of unity and love for Bahrain as
everyone waved their red & white
flags around!
Events
Bahrain National DayBahrain National Day
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 9
Events
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 10
Events
Russell PetersRussell Peters After the staggering success of ‘Bahrain Comedy’
with the Axis of Evil back in October, comes another
world-class comedy act; Russell Peters. With a sell-
out crowd of 5,000, the Bahrain Exhibition Center
was packed with an audience anticipating laughs
from Russell. An opening by Ahmed Ahmed, and a
bombshell of a show by Russell himself meant a
great night full of laughs for everyone!
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 11
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 12
Events
Najwa KaramNajwa Karam Performing live on stage at the Bahrain
International Circuit was Najwa Karam;
an Eid concert that had the crowds
singing along to the Arab music divas
songs late into the night at this desert festival.
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 13
Bahrain was busy with the
vibes of Egyptian superstar,
Tamer Hosni, as he entertained
the crowds with his hit songs
late into the night. The concert
was held on the 10th of
December at the Gulf Hotel.
Events
Tamer HosniTamer Hosni
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 14
Whispers The new album by Ala Ghawas.. Out now
www.alaghawas.com
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 15
Events
SherineSherine The famous Egyptian superstar, Sherine,
performed for the first time in Bahrain on
the 18th of December, in a concert that
had people dancing and singing along
late into the night
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 16
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 17
Sure, Bahrain has a hundred and one shopping malls. But if
you want more of an authentic shopping experience,
there’s no place better than the Souq in downtown
Manama. Souq is the Arabic word for market, and although
partly under renovation (which feels like it’s been ongoing for
the past 10 years), there is still a large part of the Souq which
has remained untouched.
An excellent place to get a bargain, the Manama Souq offers
shoppers quite a lot; a huge variety of herbs and spices, thobs
and abayas (traditional clothes), fabrics, handicrafts,
souvenirs, halwa (Bahraini sweets), and much more! With the
current cool weather, a visit to the Souq in the afternoon would
be ideal, but plan on spending a few hours, probably till closing
time! Also, get a good photo of Bab Al Bahrain (Doorway to
Bahrain), which actually used to be right on the beach years
ago! The entrance to Manama Souq is located right opposite
the Financial Harbor; shop timings differ but most open from
8:00am-1:00pm, and 4:00-8:30pm.
Tradition
Manama SouqManama Souq
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 18
Visit the world of hidden
Bahraini Talents...
www.BahrainTalent.com
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 19
Bahrain's opening match at GCC 19 held in Muscat, Oman was against
Asian Champions Iraq, at the Sultan Qaboos Stadium in Bowsher. The
stadium was already packed as hosting nation Oman had tied with
Kuwait 0-0 earlier in a match that saw 4 yellow cards being handed out. The Iraqis were determined to prove themselves against the Bahraini
side early into the game and in the 17th minute a yellow card was
given to Haytham Taher, with a second yellow also given to the same
player in the 25th minute, resulting in him being sent off. Abdulla Omar
scored the first goal for Bahrain and the first goal in the Championship in
the 27th minute, Sayyed Mohammed Sayyed Adnan put in the second
goal in the 65th minute. Young Abdulla Al Dakheel replaced Alaa
Hubail and scored Bahrain's third and final goal (and his first goal in a
GCC competition) for the match in the 90th minute, with a resulting win
of 3-1 to Bahrain! Well done to the Bahraini team and let’s hope to see
you all the way to the finals!
Sports Bahrain vs IraqBahrain vs Iraq By Yasmin Al HilliBy Yasmin Al Hilli
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 20
Once a month, an event is held by the creative
arts group, Elham. They bring together different
artists from around the island, to expose their art,
be it music, paintings, stories, or anything else. A
place for artists to get together and discuss ideas,
thoughts and share their work.
This issue we talk to Ali Al Saeed, one of the
founders of the creative arts group. An artists
himself, Ali is a author of two books, QuixotiQ and
Moments. We get together to find out more
about the concept of Elham, what it is, and it’s
visions for the future in Bahrain.
Local Talent
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 21
Local Talent
- Tell us a little about Elham; what is the concept behind it?
Well, it started over two years ago by a group of artists and writers
coming together, and deciding to create a platform and
engaging circle for creative people in Bahrain. We started meeting
up once a month to showcase local talent; some of them were
amateurs, some professionals and some upcoming artists, but all
came to gain experience and showcase their work. Over the
months we developed and expanded, and now we have a variety
of activities; we hold workshops, photography and art exhibitions,
music events, stuff like that. Generally it’s a platform for young
upcoming talent and a motivator of art, a sort of "muse" if you may,
for artists, to push them to create, hence our new slogan "Let's
Create" which truly sums up what we are about.
- Nice! So, what sparked the idea for Elham? Who came up with it?
It was 3 people; me, an artist and another writer. We were sitting in a
gallery talking one day, and started meeting up every week to talk
about arts and so on. We figured there might be more people who
would want to do that; meet up together to exchange ideas and
show their work. It started just like that, I personally always thought
there was a need for that; I needed that when I started writing, a
place to go to meet like minded people.
- What does Elham do at the moment?
We’ve actually come a long way from our first event, which was
around 30 people, to now an average of 100+ for every event, and
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 22
that is changing the mechanism of it; we have to be more serious about it, it has to be more organized. It was much more free-
flowing; whatever comes along comes along. Now we are more structured, more organized, and we’re almost trying to push the
standard, push the people who come to develop their work and themselves, stuff like that. So even now, in our line ups you see
stronger and stronger people showing their work, and that’s a reflection of people learning more about and having faith in Elham,
whether they are artists or just visiting our events.
- How do you contact the artists or people who showcase their work? Do they approach you, do you approach them, etc?
It’s a mix, really. Sometimes we hear of someone, or visit an artist, other times we get emails from people. It’s a mix. We always
encourage people to get in touch with us and send us samples of their work. Whatever it is you do or create, we'd love to see it!
Copyright; Carla Saliba
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 23
Local Talent
- Has there been much support for the Elham concept in general?
It’s been well received. We’ve gotten support from a lot of people and venues, including previously Alriwaq Gallery and now Albareh
Gallery, other venues such as Cocoon, all the magazines and publications, the media, so that’s how the word gets out and gives us
more exposure. The word about Elham has gone across the border, and no people from Texas to Auckland have heard about us! But
now, to reach the next level, as Elham grows it needs to be funded to support its growing size, and so we have to try and secure
sponsorship. For Elham to survive and reach the next stage, funding is a must.
- How has the process of getting sponsorship been going so far?
We are now beginning the process. So far we managed to receive funding for a couple of our events, which was through Aliyah-Marie.
It's a great start but we have to keep going and secure funding for our upcoming events, specifically our larger projects over the
coming months. We're also looking at putting together our festival event upcoming in end of April/early May, which won't be possible
without funding.
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 24
Local Talent
- How can people find out more about the events going on, or
participate in a future event?
People can reach us mainly online through our website at
www.elhambahrain.net, on our Facebook group, or by simply
sending us an email at [email protected] to register for
updates and receive our monthly e-magazine.
- So how about the future? What’s upcoming for Elham in the next
few weeks or month?
Lots and lots of exciting stuff! In January we have an exciting trip
organized generously by Al Dar to visit 3 islands and see the habitat
and surroundings; a group of photographers, filmmakers and artists
will spend the day out at sea making art which will then be show-
cased at a unique event held in March. In February we have an
exicting line up of artists to take part in our 17th edition of the
monthly gathering, and we are also planning to host our 2nd Open
Mic night sometime in April, following the success of the one we had
last year.
In the pipeline we are also putting together our first edition
anthology featuring the works of Elham members, as well as a CD
featuring original music by local talents. The 4-day festival we are
currently planning will be a culmination of our season long activities
and will be the first of its kind in Bahrain.
- Sounds like there’s a lot coming! Great stuff. Thanks Ali, it was great
talking to you!
Your welcome! There's more, but I guess you'll just have to wait and
see!
HalaBahrain Magazine | January 2009 25