Handicrafts Festival on April 4-8

Manama, Mar. 26 (BNA): The third edition of the ‘Hurafuna’ Handicrafts Festival will be held on April 4-8 in Bab Al Bahrain, the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has said. "We are pleased to announce the launch of the third edition of the ‘Hurafuna’ Handicrafts Festival, which will coincide with the Formula 1 2018 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix at the start of next month,” BETA Chief Executive Officer Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa said. “The festival is expected to attract large number of visitors and tourists from all over the world. This year we will also have numerous talented Egyptian craftsmen participating and showcasing unique handcrafted products at the festival. Hosting this event comes in line with BTEA’s keenness to preserve the Kingdom’s crafts and traditional industries for future generations,” he said at a media conference attended the guest of honour the Ambassador of Egypt to Bahrain, Suha Ibrahim Mohammed Rifaat, the Director of Handicrafts Directorate, Shaikha Wafa bint Saif Al Khalifa, the Director of Marketing and Tourism Promotion at BTEA, Yousef Al Khan; and media representatives. The festival will provide 11 Bahraini and 11 Egyptian craftsmen a platform to showcase and sell various unique handicrafts including hand-woven baskets, traditional musical instruments, wooden boxes, pottery, model ships and much more. The Egyptian diplomat expressed her delight with the event. “We are proud to have the Egyptian craftsmen participate in the upcoming edition of the ‘Hurafuna’ Handicrafts Festival, and giving them the opportunity to showcase their products to all residents and visitors from the neighbouring Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and beyond, further enhancing cooperation between the two countries across various fields,” she said. The ’Hurafuna’ Handicrafts Festival will be open to the public and will offer visitors a variety of family entertainment including live performances by traditional Bahraini bands. “‘Hurafuna’ Handicrafts Festival comes in-line with our efforts to provide craftsmen the opportunity to develop their skills in designing high-quality products,” Shaikha Wafa said. “The Handicraft Directorate is keen on providing various educational workshops next year that will include leather making, jewellery making, knitting and embroidery of heritage fashion and more.” Hosting the festival comes in line with the BTEA’s long term strategy to develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector and strengthen its position on a regional and international level under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s economy and the 2030 Economic Vision.