Ten months of double digit growth for Mercedes-Benz

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Yum! The M-Class exudes strength and class

Just heard from the awesome performers at Mercedes Benz – it seems the Olympics was not the only event for record-breaking performances in July. Mercedes-Benz Middle East & Levant have clearly taken the gold in a flurry of best ever sales results. New records include a marathon 10 consecutive months of double digit regional growth, with year to date (YTD) sales up 16% on 2011. Regional distributors in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar also celebrated from the top of the podium with best ever July country sales as well.

I agree that I have not yet tested the bigger cars in the Mercedes Benz line up but the new records are testament to the success of Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant’s ‘Year of the SUV and AMG’ 2012 sales strategy, building on the success last year. SUV sales increased 25% over July 2011, led by 50% month on month (MOM) growth from the newly launched M-Class – pairing performance with sophistication….cool aye! I’m told the evergreen G-Class continued to assert its dominance in the segment, with 19% more customers lured by the resilient icon’s rugged charm.

That’s not just it though – The fires of Affalterbach were given a high octane sales boost, with July sales for the precision Mercedes-AMG performance division turbo charged by 178% over the same month last year. Feeding the flames of Affalterbach’s success was an astronomical increase in demand for the bi-turbo AMG version of the fashionable CLS 63 AMG four door coupé… I need to make time to check this one out!

The beast in a business suit (E 63 AMG executive saloon) increased 20% YTD, with five times more people buying the newly launched 0-100km/h in 4.7sec ML 63 AMG. Still refusing to rest on its laurels, the relentless success of the G 55 AMG grew sales 65% MOM, together with its newly launched G 63 AMG and G 65 AMG variants. I can just see the Merc team looking at Frank Bernthaler, Director, Sales and Marketing, Mercedes-Benz Cars, Middle East & Levant for a night out as reward.

Now I wonder if I can get some tips and pointers from the Mercedes Benz team in reaching the right premium audience for our products and exhibitions.

NEW DOUBLE HEART BEAT BLACK BEAUTY

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Gorgeous…my favourite piece from Frederique Constant

It is no doubt that Frederique Constant Black Beauty is the most exciting addition to Frederique Constant’s bestselling Double Heart Beat Collection. As a watch fanatic, I totally relate to the deep black mother of pearl dial but I know most of my friends will however salivate over the many diamonds of the Black Beauty.

The original design of this range, that is two intertwined hearts forming an aperture in the dial revealing the ‘heart beat’ of the movement- makes the Frederique Constant Double Heart Beat more than just a watch. These fine timepieces have been developed with passion to reflect the values and aspirations of today’s woman (like moi). Frederique Constant’s Double Heart Beat watches are created with precision design and assembled by hand, allowing for a high quality timepiece each and every time.

When I buy a watch, perceived value is important but the real quality, consistency, craftsmanship ultimately is the main attraction….its just the way this brand thinks. I like the idea of being able to go corporate with my Mont Blanc, wild with my Roberto Cavalli snake watch in mother of pearl or when I feel uninspired, I go for the boring looking white metallic GC that looks like everything else in the market except that its white…big deal! But hey….there is no accounting for taste and sometimes one just isn’t in the mood. However, moods can be changed if there are ultra special pieces that totally give you that extra bit of endorphin kick, making you smile and I believe that the pieces from Frederique Constant have that edge.

As always I like brands that are passionate about charity….. What is nice is that US$50 from each watch sold in the Double Heart Beat Collection is donated to charities related to the heart and children. Hence the slogan for this collection is “Assembled by hand to touch your heart”.

For people who don’t know watches or don’t know the Frederique Constant brand, the first thing to learn is that they really are on the top position amongst leading makers of Swiss luxury watches. In 1994, Frederique Constant developed its first Heart Beat watch to show the mechanical nature of these Frederique Constant watches. Heart Beat watches have an aperture at the position of the balance wheel to show that the movement of the watch is mechanical.

Early in the 1990’s, automatic mechanical watches were slowly making their return to the market after the quartz crisis of the 1970-1980’s. Typically, the exterior of such mechanical watches looks similar to quartz watches except that the second hand moves continuously. On quartz watches, the second hand makes 60 steps per minute.  It’s an interesting lesson on how it all works and I am so glad that Frederique Constant considered it important to show the difference between mechanical and quartz watches….it helps uninitiated people like us learn a bit about the back-end of how these beautiful pieces work.

In a mechanical watch, the balance wheel beats 28’800 times per hour. The balance wheel rotates clockwise and counter-clockwise on its axes in a large ruby jewel. Its rotation is controlled by the hairspring, which constantly coils and uncoils, and can be seen through the open eye of the Heart Beat watches…i can never do justice in explaining how this works and how awesome these watches are. I suggest you check Frederique Constant pieces out yourselves!

The breadfruits and the jackfruits of Fiji

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A zoomed view of the greenery from the balcony of my current home in Fiji. Our tropical weather allows us to have the best of the best organic fruits and vegetables

This week I broke my fast at a Fijian friend’s house – she is married to an Emirati so the Iftar fare was a mixture of Arabic and Fijian cuisine. The reason I was there was because Rajah (my friend) had brought some breadfruit and cooked it in Fijian style with Roti and wanted me to go down memory lane as we enjoyed our iftar experience.

Fijian cuisine is unique and often one can’t recreate the taste elsewhere although in some cases one can come close. I have been battling to make soft round roti’s and curries abroad for years but because its hard to get fresh organic ingredients easily in other countries, the taste is never the same.

Occasionally we get overjoyed when we see a rare vegetable that we associate to our extensive Fijian produce and are able to cook it Fijian style as we have all the vegetables the rest of the world has but more….where else can you get a vegetable as tasty as daruka. (this is not going to be another whitebait style story, I swear. In my defence, there is no fish in the world that is as delicious as whitebait so I had to gloat about the fact that we get it in Fiji and my family always keeps this rare treat for me when it is in season)

In Fiji, we love our root crops – so instead of eating bread and rice all the time, we get our carbs through tapioca, yam (dalo), taro, breadfruits, sweet potatoes etc. We are also super lucky that our cuisine is influenced by old-world civilizations mainly Polynesian/Melanesians, Indians and Chinese with a dose of influence from our Kiwi and Aussie neighbours.

Our styles of cooking happen to be an interesting experience as well. As Polynesians, we love cooking lovo (food marinated and cooked underground on hot stones) often accompanied with root crops. We also enjoy spicy Indian cuisine and Chinese delicacies  (our chop suey, chow mien and stir fries are out of this world).

Our cooks, family members and young chefs are spoilt for choice when it comes to the variety of fresh food so they use their imaginations to experiment and come up with amazing food that Fijians abroad and visitors of Fiji keep coming back for. We come from a world where we can cook fresh white fish entirely in lemon juice, wash it and make a mean salad (kokonda) that our visitors talk about for days.

I also remember the times in Dubai both me and Rajah go scouring for jackfruit in Karama when we craved Fijian food – being a snobbish marama, I normally would not venture to Karama for love or for money but for jackfruit, or any Fijian delicacy, I am willing to put up with anything. Eaten ripe, jackfruits are the most sweetest and succulents of desserts (very popular in Asia) but I prefer the young ones cut in small pieces and fried with garlic, onion, chillies and tumeric with Fijian style roti.

I still go to Lulu Supermarket to get the ripe ones from Malaysia for my better half and the raw ones for me to cook with. In Thailand, the ripe ones are cut in small pieces and served in sweet coconut milk as desserts….lush! What is great also is that the green jackfruit is full of vitamins that helps to prevent many sicknesses like fighting cancer and lowering blood pressure.

Its going to be Eid next week and I certainly will miss my usual delicacies like fried jackfruit and going to the amazing markets in Fiji full of organic food fresh from the farms every morning. I’m glad though that NJD is coming back to Dubai post Eid and is bring me back some of the Eid goodies like barfi, coconut candy and a few other decadent and sinful things that I so enjoy!

In the meantime, I want to get my retirement sorted in Fiji – with the world in chaos, it’s about time I earned in Fiji dollars and enjoyed life under a coconut palm complete with a drink that has a multi-coloured umbrella in it. (I can see my stalker and the green-eyed monsters hoping a coconut would fall on my head and put a stop to this drivel). Oh well! – a girl can dream!

Spinning the Volkswagen Touareg

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Absolutely loved my time with the Touareg…my shoe rack stayed intact all through the week

After my short tryst with the Phaeton 2 weeks ago, I magically landed the new technically innovative Volkswagen Touareg at my disposal for a week to spin around on Dubai streets and found to my delight that it is longer, lighter, sleeker, safer, and roomier than its predecessor.

The completely redeveloped flagship petrol engine of this Volkswagen sport utility vehicle offers comfortable dimensions of a luxury sedan and the dynamic attributes of a sports car….diva likes 🙂

I also loved the sexy bi-xenon headlights ( This camera-based continuous main beam headlight actually “sees” oncoming traffic and automatically adjusts the main beam to eliminate unwanted glare….how cool is that?)

Also awesome was the Dynamic Light Assist, and the standard 8-speed automatic transmission, not forgetting the multi camera operated Area View safety system, Lane and Side Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) plus Front Assist, automatic tailgate, and proactive occupant protection….hey, I am a woman – I get distracted so these features really help!

To the uninitiated, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) autonomously controls the safe distance to traffic ahead of the vehicle – a cruise control that not only accelerates but also brakes to a stop in an emergency. The space in front of the vehicle is monitored by two radar sensors. I absolutely loved this feature , especially on Al Khail road where you come across at least one erratic driver per journey.

The Front Assist helps to avoid collision accidents. It initiates appropriate protective measures well in advance of a critical situation. It builds up sufficient pressure in the brake system and preconditions the hydraulic brake assist. In case of acute danger, the driver is then made aware that action needs to be taken to defuse the situation by visual and acoustic warnings and a brief pulse of the brake pedal…i didn’t try this but am told its super effective.

If the driver brakes expected at this moment, the Touareg automatically generates as much brake pressure as is necessary to avoid a collision. Under optimal constraints (activation time, driving situation, road grip) it is possible to avoid a front-end collision. If the driver decides to avoid the obstacle by steering, the vehicle’s dynamics are improved by stiffer damper tuning (on vehicles with air suspension).

The entertainment system was awesome too…I cruised diva like on a Friday morning down SZR and it was a pleasure.  What was more awesome was that the car accommodated my shoe rack with 45 pairs of shoes for the week plus my gym bag and my beach bag as well as my stash of magazines….i didn’t miss my Fortuner once throughout the week!

I also like the elegant appearance of the Touareg – timeless, sporty and in beautiful form. Diva was content for a week – I’m hard to please when it comes to cars but the Touareg was faultless!

Apple or pear shaped?

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Being curvalicious can be amazing sometimes but down right confusing these days when you go for BMI tests and the like.

While I enjoy being called a yummy mummy or have my butt compared to J-lo (Afterall she did insure it for millions), being asked if I am apple or pear-shaped makes me cringe especially if in the same sentence a therapist goes ‘if you are pear-shaped, you may have memory problems later in age’. Apparently its hard to determine mine as I seem to be one of the in between; a mixture of pear, apple and hourglass – whatever that means!

Naturally that would make me say, ‘hey, I’m darned sure I’m an apple cos my boobs equate to headlights and stop the traffic and the tummy and butt sticks out so when I wear a ‘mumu’, it looks all rounded. Well I’m hoping that’s a good sign until the therapist starts counting out what can go wrong if you are apple – diabetes, blood pressure or heart diseases. And if you wanna be a Kim Kardashian type with bulges in the right places but have to lose weight on the tummy, another lecture begins on after effects with cellulite and numerous spot reduction exercises etc.

Which brings me to the realisation that as a woman you can’t win….there is always going to be something that will be a pain in the ass (pun intended). At this stage I tell myself that the people in my life adore me just the way I am and who cares if I lose my mind being a pear shaped or am roly poly like an apple…now all I gotta do is get that darned BMI to the right levels. Something tells me I am going to miss Ramadan and whipping my fabulous self into shape.

Pleasantly surprised by The New Phaeton

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How cool is this 🙂

The first ever car I owned was a funky Volkswagen Polo which was super nippy and in the end saved my life because of its safety features. Since then, I always wanted to owned a VW but decided to go for another SUV as I felt safer in them purely based on size but the brand i selected was more for my shoe rack space than anything else. So when the awesome girls at VW called me to see if I wanted to test drive the new Phaeton for a few days including the weekend, I couldn’t say no. It was a superb experience, one that I would love to repeat again.

We all know that Volkswagen produces one of the world’s highest quality, exclusive automobiles and the quality, style and travelling comfort of this saloon was certainly above standard. I enjoyed the abundance of new technical features that included a light Assist plus a camera-based, dynamic main beam control system being introduced in a saloon for the first time.

The navigation system in this awesome car can integrate online data in the map display upon request. The optional front camera in the Phaeton “sees” traffic signs; speed limit signs are visualised in the instrument cluster (multifunction display) and the central touch-screen of the centre console.

I loved the interior of the Phaeton – its elegant and comfortable, the styling is linear and timeless but I am so missing the seats with award-winning ergonomics. Then there is the current generation radio/navigation system with 8-inch touch-screen control, form one functional unit with the climate control and multimedia controls.

The luxurious new saloon offers superb exclusivity, and totally matched the standards I am used to in luxury cars. I was so thrilled about the car that I got offered another test drive of the Touareg the following weekend and I cant wait to share how impressed I was with the VW brand. Watch this space!

Life is Magnifique at Sofitel – World Class Hotels & French Elegance

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The amazing view i had when I stayed in the Prestige Suite of Sofitel Bahrain

NJD with the Thailand Ambassador to Bahrain at Tapas Bar

Experience the best in hospitality at Sofitel Bahrain and Dubai

Sofitel is the only French luxury hotel brand with a presence on five continents with 120 addresses, in almost 40 countries (more than 30 000 rooms). Sofitel offers contemporary hotels and resorts adapted to today’s more demanding and more versatile consumers who expect and appreciate beauty, quality and excellence. I enjoyed my one night stay at Sofitel Dubai so much that I wanted to try another Sofitel to see if all their properties are really as magnifique as my first experience

Whether situated in the heart of a major city like Paris, London, New York, Shanghai or Beijing, or nestled away in a country landscape in Morocco, Egypt, French Polynesia or Thailand, each Sofitel property offers a genuine experience of the French “ art de vivre”.

One thing I noticed in both the Dubai and Bahrain property is the biggest asset that makes Sofitel such a huge success in this region is that every staff member, right from the GM to the waiter have unbelievably vibrant, pleasant and helpful personalities.

In Dubai, it was awesome to look out the patio onto the ocean and the vibrant atmosphere of JBR where people went on from their coffee sessions to walks on the beach. I was so happy with the hotel’s recreation areas like the inviting pool area that going out of the hotel was not on. In the evening we enjoyed an amazing fine dining experience as well as a wonderful coffee session near garden area.

At The Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa, guests are greeted with the Kingdom’s legendary hospitality, enhanced by a touch of the French savoir-faire cherished by Sofitel hotels world-wide. Situated on the west coast of Bahrain, the hotel is located close to a nature reserve, in a protected area with crystal-clear turquoise waters. It truly is a luxurious establishment offering guests a paradise setting in which to enjoy an idyllic stay.

The exclusive lounge area on the 6th Floor had the friendliest staff and my best experience was that no matter which part of the hotel I was in, there was Internet access. I strongly believe that in this day and age, hotels lose out with their exorbitant costs for internet excess and Sofitel scores full marks as I was able to relax and have peace of mind knowing that I could at a pinch attend to any urgent emails that came from home or office. 

The Hotel is offering a wide variety of cuisines and delicious dishes from all over the world presented in the 5 restaurants and 4 bars. Guests may enjoy an authentic South East Asian fare, or dive into an overwhelming seafood collection. The Italian specialties are to die for and the Tapas bar offers a wide selection of unique mouth- watering bites.

The irresistible Lebanese Mezza and local delights in the Regional Specialty restaurant are warmed up with the most popular oriental tunes and belly dance beats in Pashawat. I was particularly overwhelmed by the Friday brunch, which I am told, is the best in Bahrain and it was certainly the best I have had in a long time.

Each restaurant in the hotel left me impressed and I believe that La Mer is by far the best seafood restaurant I have tried in Bahrain during my weekly visits. And getting to the hotel is so easy and once you get there, the tranquil environment sets the mood for an awesome time no matter what the reasons are for your visit.

One thing I was looking forward to most was the fact that The Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea & Spa is the first hotel within the GCC to offer thalasso-therapy and I couldn’t wait to try it. I was not disappointed as the extensive Thalassa sea & spa complex covers 2,000 square meters on 2 levels and is designed with the utmost care to ensure privacy and tranquility for every guest. The complex features 14 treatment rooms, utilizing sea products, massages and Wellness programs.

I was also impressed by the fact that The Thalassa Sea & Spa also features a seawater hydrotherapy pool, a freshwater pool, saunas, steam rooms, hairdresser for men and beauty salon for women, as well as a yoga studio and a meditation area. A specialized dietitian is dedicated to advise general body condition; body mass index, and tailor-made fitness programmes.

Then there is the La Plage Beach Club is an elegant and modern facility, where you may enjoy a relaxing day on the beach or by the pool, also, you can pick from a wide range of water sports to enhance you day on the beach.

The Beach Club’s 2 floodlit tennis courts promise enlivening play, while the 2 air-conditioned glass- backed squash courts offer a cooler choice. So FIT gym is part of La Plage Beach Club, it is the latest facility of its kind in Bahrain, and offers state-of-the-art equipment, certified trainers and fitness assessment counselors to help guests get the most out of their workout.

There is also a safe and nurturing environment, where children from all ages are provided with opportunities to develop their social, emotional and physical skills. The space is designed to suit different age groups with a wide range of indoor activities such as Play station3, WII, movies, events, library, board games, computers, and toys for all ages.

I certainly am looking forward to my next visit to the restaurants and the spa at Sofitel hotels now that I have had the taste of their Dubai and Bahrain properties.

*PS – I just saw the Sofitel Bahrain Ramadan Tent last weekend and it is awesome. After being in hundreds of Ramadan tents over the last 12 years, the ambience of the Sofitel Bahrain comes out as the best I have ever seen.

The food presentation at every restaurant at Sofitel Bahrain is so beautiful, you don’t want to spoil it…LUSH!

My room @SofitelBahrain 🙂

 

 

Sultans of Science’ to enter the European market with debut in Oslo

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Children interacting with ‘Sultans of Science’ exhibits at a previous venue

MTE Studios signs contract with Norwegian Science Museum

With its European debut in Oslo, UAE’s global travelling exhibition, ‘Sultans of Science’, enters a new market as MTE Studios signs a six-month leasing contract with The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology in Norway.

With tremendous success in USA, Canada and Asia, MTE Studios is creating a second version of ‘Sultans of Science’ exhibition to meet the demand of venues interested in hosting it. Currently ‘Sultans of Science’ also known as ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’, entered the Asian continent and will be concluding at Science Centre Singapore before moving on to Thailand, Malaysia and other venues thereafter.

Unveiling scientific achievements of Muslim civilization to European audiences, ‘Sultans of Science’ Exhibition will amaze visitors with scientific breakthroughs of a remarkable Era. The global travelling exhibition will be showcased for six and half months at The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology

“We are proud to bring this exhibition to Norway and delighted to unfold the knowledge of a great civilization which will be an engaging and educating experience for our visitors. We are excited to be the first venue in Europe for a prestigious exhibition like ‘Sultans of Science’ and are very confident that it will be well received”, said director Hans Weinberger of The Norwegian Museum of Science and Technology.

“‘Sultans of Science’ has attracted record number of visitors at venues across USA, Canada and Asia and are we overwhelmed with the kind of response it has received. Increasing demand from venues has given rise to the second version of the exhibition and we are proud to sign the first contract with Norwegian Science Museum to be the launch pad for the European Continent,” said Ludo Verheyen, CEO of MTE Studios.

The exhibition will reveal the remarkable achievements of Muslim civilization, which helped, pave the way for modern technologies and inventions. European audiences will be amazed to learn about the significant role the Islamic scholars have played in modern science, from astronomy to medicine to engineering to navigation and optics and how these innovations and discoveries have helped in making mankind’s life easier today.

With over 50 interactive, sensory and static exhibits and giant functional replicas that use cutting-edge technology to recreate the ingenuity of a golden age, the global travelling exhibition has been to various venues including New Jersey, South Africa, Toronto, Edmonton, San Jose and Science Centre Singapore. 

About ‘Sultans of Science’ (‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’):

‘Sultans of Science’ also known as ‘Islamic Science Rediscovered’ is a global touring exhibition celebrating the contribution of Muslim Scholars in Science and Technology during the Golden Age of the Islamic World and the influence their inventions and contributions has towards modern society.

Focused on increasing knowledge and understanding of these invaluable contributions, ‘Sultans of Science’ has been created as a global traveling exhibition in order to enable its message to be far-reaching through science centers and museums around the world.

The content features interactive displays with information on inventions, innovations and discoveries covering a broad spectrum of science topics such as astronomy, mathematics, medicine, optics amongst others, which were ahead of its time.

Contact Shereen Shabnam on +971507690087 if you would like information to visit the exhibition.

Bahrain Science Centre summer workshops

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Children engrossed during a story telling session at the summer workshop at the Bahrain Science Centre

Bahrain Science Centre summer workshops offering a wide range of activities that are concerned with scientific topics have proven to be a huge success amongst the children in the Kingdom. The summer workshops started early this month and over 600 children have already attended the workshops in the first 10 days with more groups registering every day. 

Commenting on the success, Assistant Undersecretary of Community Development Mr. Khalid Ishaq from Bahrain’s Ministry of Social Development said, “The camp is a huge success among children. Keeping children gainfully occupied throughout the summer holidays is a task for every parent and these workshops keep them constructively, educationally and enjoyably occupied.”

From science shows, story-telling, puppet workshops, talk shops, painting, craft to educational games, there’s something for everyone at the Bahrain Science Centre’s interactive workshops. A series of fun-filled games and hands-on activities encourage children to use their brains and to enter a world of imagination. Bahrain Science Centre storytellers bring tales from around the world to life. Entertaining and exciting activities are offered to develop essential life skills for young visitors at the Science Centre, which falls under Bahrain’s Ministry of Social Development.

Summer camp organisers and their groups who attended the workshops at Bahrain Science were amazed. In particular, Ghada Salem, Founder and Managing Director of Mums in Bahrain Society and Aysha Al Ghattan, Principle of Good Seeds Summer Camp, Al Eslah society were excited and overjoyed bringing their children to the centre to experience hands-on learning activities while enjoying the summer workshops.

Currently operated and managed by MTE Studios, the Bahrain Science Centre is the first of its kind in the country and all the displays are designed to be educational. Schools in Bahrain started exploring the new Bahrain Science Centre by appointments only prior to its official launch with great success since its opened doors late March 2012. School and Summer Holiday groups are still being formally invited until the Bahrain Science Centre opens officially to children as well as families and adults later this year.

The Bahrain Science Centre is located in building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain and can be contacted on 136 846 86.

About Bahrain Science Centre (BSC):
The Bahrain Science Centre (BSC) is an interactive educational facility that targets children, youth and families of Bahrain. It is located in building 334, Road 109, Block 801, Riyadh Avenue, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain. The science centre has six interactive exhibition galleries, an auditorium, four laboratories and a café/shop.

The role of the BSC is to promote awareness of the importance of science and technology, complement the school curriculum, stimulate curiosity and innovation, and create a forum for public debate on science and technology issues. The topics covered by current exhibitions include junior engineering, human health, the five senses, earth sciences and biodiversity.

Focusing on hands-on learning using interactive displays and people-centred programmes, such as science shows, Bahrain Science Centre also strongly promotes creativity and innovation as well as cross-generational learning. The science centre will also endeavour to promote an awareness of Bahrain’s contributions to science and technology and a strong Bahraini identity. It is an ideal family edutainment destination.