Superyacht operations may be affected by unrest in Bahrain
Rising military instability is prompting stakeholders in the Middle Eastern marine industry to examine what the waves of political unrest across the region mean for them. For the past two months the Shia majority of Bahrain...…
Rising military instability is prompting stakeholders in the Middle Eastern marine industry to examine what the waves of political unrest across the region mean for them. For the past two months the Shia majority of Bahrain has coordinated demonstrations against the Sunni ruling classes in protest against the discrimination and oppression they face. The protests continue to gather momentum, with security forces arresting six key members of the opposition.
Bahrain is a principality, with the king as its head of state and members of the royal family occupying most of the key positions in government. Despite this seemingly nepotic system of government, Bahrain has managed to cultivate a reputation as one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East. As a result Bahrain is seen as a gentle ‘introduction’ to the Middle East, which is significant for many marine businesses that have been trying to raise the profile of the Middle East as a superyacht cruising destination; it has been marketed as a gateway to the Arab world and will be integral to attracting greater levels of international yachting tourism to the region.
Bahrain is also an island state, and there are various marine developments recently opened or under construction. Key marina operators, including Mourjan IGY and ART marine, have projects or business divisions in Bahrain.
A curfew has been imposed on citizens in response to the protests; there is also a sea curfew in place in Bahrain waters between 5:00pm and 6:00 am daily. Marina Club is an exclusive members-only marina close to the capital of Manama; Manager David R Pouponneau explained that the problems have already impacted business. “At the moment we are fully occupied with yachts of various lengths owned by club members. However, we do receive international visiting yachts but there has been no movement on this front for the past few weeks…we have never experienced a situation like this before. We have been told that the curfew will remain in place until further notice.”
Mourjan IGY are involved in the Marsa Al Seef development. Katrin Mueller, Marketing Manger of Mourjan IGY commented “Mourjan Marinas IGY remains committed to enhancing the growth of the marina industry in the GCC and North Africa, as well as contributing to Bahrain’s tourism and growth strategy through our project in Marsa Al Seef. This development is still in the planning stage and we are therefore not in a position to comment any further at this point. We do, however, hope for a swift resolution and our thoughts are with the people of Bahrain.”
However, Camper and Nicholson Marinas were swift to suspend its operational management of Hurghada Marina in Egypt as political tension and violence in the country escalated. This is an ominous sign for those operating in Bahrain, and one that has the potential to develop into a necessity.
TD & WM
Related Links
Marina Club - Company Website
Mourjan IGY - Company Website
ART Marine - Company Website
Bahrain is a principality, with the king as its head of state and members of the royal family occupying most of the key positions in government. Despite this seemingly nepotic system of government, Bahrain has managed to cultivate a reputation as one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East. As a result Bahrain is seen as a gentle ‘introduction’ to the Middle East, which is significant for many marine businesses that have been trying to raise the profile of the Middle East as a superyacht cruising destination; it has been marketed as a gateway to the Arab world and will be integral to attracting greater levels of international yachting tourism to the region.
Bahrain is also an island state, and there are various marine developments recently opened or under construction. Key marina operators, including Mourjan IGY and ART marine, have projects or business divisions in Bahrain.
A curfew has been imposed on citizens in response to the protests; there is also a sea curfew in place in Bahrain waters between 5:00pm and 6:00 am daily. Marina Club is an exclusive members-only marina close to the capital of Manama; Manager David R Pouponneau explained that the problems have already impacted business. “At the moment we are fully occupied with yachts of various lengths owned by club members. However, we do receive international visiting yachts but there has been no movement on this front for the past few weeks…we have never experienced a situation like this before. We have been told that the curfew will remain in place until further notice.”
Mourjan IGY are involved in the Marsa Al Seef development. Katrin Mueller, Marketing Manger of Mourjan IGY commented “Mourjan Marinas IGY remains committed to enhancing the growth of the marina industry in the GCC and North Africa, as well as contributing to Bahrain’s tourism and growth strategy through our project in Marsa Al Seef. This development is still in the planning stage and we are therefore not in a position to comment any further at this point. We do, however, hope for a swift resolution and our thoughts are with the people of Bahrain.”
However, Camper and Nicholson Marinas were swift to suspend its operational management of Hurghada Marina in Egypt as political tension and violence in the country escalated. This is an ominous sign for those operating in Bahrain, and one that has the potential to develop into a necessity.
TD & WM
Related Links
Marina Club - Company Website
Mourjan IGY - Company Website
ART Marine - Company Website
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