Gulf Air, the national carrier of Bahrain, today entered into a sponsorship agreement with Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the official host of the inaugural Routes Middle East & Africa 2015 that will take place in Bahrain from May 31-June 2, which sees the airline become the event’s official carrier.

Routes MEA will bring together over 350 delegates from across the Middle East and Africa (MEA) to meet and discuss route development opportunities across the region. Hosted by BAC, the event is anticipated to see the participation of representatives from over 50 airlines, 70 airports and 10 tourism authorities.

As part of the sponsorship agreement, Gulf Air will be offering the event organizers with complimentary airfares in addition to providing a 20 percent discount on airfares for all attendees and delegates when booking online.

Maher Salman Al-Musallam, Gulf Air CEO said: “We are delighted to partner with BAC — a key industry partner for Gulf Air — to welcome such a first-time industry event to not only Bahrain but the entire region. We look forward to welcoming visitors to the Kingdom to learn more about our industry expertise and potential while experiencing all that Bahrain has to offer. I look forward to the success of Routes Middle East & Africa 2015.”

Mohamed Yousif Al-Binfalah, BAC CEO, spoke at the signing ceremony: “Securing this prestigious inaugural event is the result of the collective efforts of our partners and stakeholders and having Gulf Air as the official carrier is definitely a great win."

He added: "We are confident that this world-class forum will reiterate Bahrain’s role as an aviation hub in the MENA region and highlight our deep-rooted aviation heritage which is deeply linked to Gulf Air’s history and heritage. We are happy to bring this prestigious event to Bahrain.”