THREE years have passed since the Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) opened its doors to Formula One Racing in the Middle East and with it the circuit let in a new craving for racing fans -- a rush for speed. Speed and motor sports had long been synonymous with the people of the region, for they have been participating or witnessing the Middle East Rally challenge for the last two decades.
But rallying, which really ignited the people’s interest in motor sports, as the drivers showed their ability on an endurance circuit allowing for thrills and spills, was no substitute for the raw speed that is displayed by the F1 cars. Here it was the test sublime -- ability, speed and control all blurring into one in a contest of the best on a designated circuit.
The circuit is responsible for injecting a renewed interest in motor sports in the region and people of all genders and ages have caught the craze in just three years.
The popularity of Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso is growing at high speeds and for some they are on par with soccer greats Ronlado and Zinedine Zidane thanks to the BIC. The sound of super-powered engines racing in ferocious competition with each other was all it took to hook me to F1 racing. And like me there are many others constituting a growing legion of F1 fans, and Bahrain has made it possible for people in the Middle East to experience the thrill of racing in our own backyard.
According to BIC officials, the racetrack has been the country’s national objective for years and has achieved various positive goals. Not only is the BIC, which was initiated by Crown Prince Sheikh Salman ibn Hamad Al-Khalifa, a racetrack but a giant investment that has been a boom to the country’s economy.
BIC is considered to be one of the most important of Bahrain’s accomplishments and has immensely contributed to attracting tourists and boosting the economy in Bahrain. Officials say the total amount of money invested in the project does not exceed $150 million.
Salman ibn Isa, executive manager of governmental affairs and public relations director at BIC, said that the investment is a small amount compared to the massive effect that it has had on the country’s economy. Presently the BIC generates over $2 billion a year, Sulaiman said that he expects the figure to reach $3.8 billion by 2015.
Built to High Standards
The circuit has been built to the highest standard in order for it to be able to host international events such as the Formula 1, making it the first ever desert formula race track in the world and the first of its kind in the Middle East.
The BIC officially opened its doors on March 17, 2004 and has a capacity to hold 50,000 people. The track is located in the Sakher area, which is a 30-minute drive from the airport, and has been built on a piece of land that is 107 square kilometers. The track has an eight-story VIP tower that includes VIP suites, restaurants, administrative offices, and has a capacity of holding over 10 thousand people.
The BIC is also equipped with an up-to-date race control room that is geared with 60 high-tech cameras with zooming facilities to enable race officials to monitor the race with extreme precision. The race-complex also includes a shopping area where visitors can buy the latest F1 souvenirs and food and drink. In addition to parking lots that can hold 14,000 cars, tunnels have been built under the track to ease the flow and movement of cars and people. The track also includes a helipad and a small airplane strip. No money has been spared in fitting the circuit with a high tech media center with 260 TV monitors and high-speed Internet lines. The media center is said to be able to host up to 600 journalists 150 photographers.
Popularity
The F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix has attracted investors to capitalize on a new tourism industry in the region. Formula One is considered one of the three major international sporting events in the world coming third after the World Cup and the Olympics. With more airing hours and a large media coverage, the annual viewing ratings for F1 exceeds that of both events.
According to officials, the 2006 F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix managed to attract more viewers then that of the Winter Olympics in Toronto. For the first time in its short history the Bahrain Grand Prix was the opening race of the F1 season. More viewers watched Alonso snatch the opening race than any other F1 race this year.
The number of viewers in Germany alone, following the opening race in Bahrain, doubled compared with ratings for the 2005 opening race in Australia. Sulaiman said, “We are expecting 600 million viewers to watch next year’s race.”
Business and construction in the Gulf state has also witnessed a boom with more visitors flocking to the island to watch the F1 races and other related events. The prices of hotel rooms have doubled and are fully booked during the four days of the F1 race. Sulaiman said that a number of hotels are under construction and are expected to open their doors to host more visitors. It is expected that with an influx of new hotels, accommodation prices will decrease.
In 2005 alone, the revenue generated by visitors reached $30 million and on average people stayed in Bahrain for five to six days. Most tourists mainly flew to the Kingdom, something that generated $16.7 million. Racing teams participating in the races alone spent around $6.5 million in 2,000 air flights and nearly 1,000 hotel rooms.
Including their time spent on the circuit, F1 visitors made a lot of money for businessmen in Bahrain. Restaurants attracted record high revenue of $13.1 million. The company that was responsible for providing services and entertainment on the circuit benefited around $11.9 in 2005. That number is expected to increase 10 to 15 percent in 2006.
According to the predictions and research of the International Tourism and Travel Council, the F1 has benefited the Kingdom’s economy by $2 billion. The number is expected to reach $3.8 billion by 2015. The Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix organizers are working on achieving that number over a long-term period.
In 2005, 75,000 visitors attended the three-day event. Bahrainis made up 54.5 percent of the attendees; GCC nationals made up 20.3 percent and 25.2 percent came from different parts of the world.
According to a recent survey, 39.3 percent of visitors from the Gulf said that they would return to Bahrain to spend their vacations and 46.1 percent of visitors from other parts of the world said event was worth the long flights to Bahrain. Visitors said they were fully convinced that Bahrain is a unique tourism destination, making Bahrain popular for foreign investors. In 2005, advertisers spent $2.5 billion on the Grand Prix itself and on targeting their products to Mideast residents.
Other Activities
Though the main climax of the circuit is the Formula 1 race, there are other events the circuit holds year round. Not wishing to leave the tack empty for more than 360 days; the track hosted 398 events in 2005.
Not all events held here are race competitions. Cooperation companies, charities and social organizations hold private events throughout the year. Cooperate executives can experience the luxury of training in one of the two training centers located on the track or can hit the desert tracks on four-wheelers or dune-buggies known as Apaches.
For all the racing fans thinking of throwing a memorial high-speed wedding the circuit even held its first wedding this summer. Organizers hope to hold 450 events in 2006. Among races that the track regularly holds is also the drag car race.
Drag racing has been something extremely popular in the Middle East for decades and there is a large fan base for the sport in the area. With an aim of catering for local tastes the circuit has also held its first ever drag-racing event. The BIC, considered now as the heart of motor sports in region, has taken the initiative in developing motor racing and educating people about the sport. Major events held on the circuit are Drag racing, F1, GP2, Formula 3 and the Bahrain International Festival.
Formula Training Centers
There are two Formula training centers at the circuit -- the BMW formula training center and Thunder Arabia center. The two centers are presently working toward creating future racing champions and are active in teaching youngsters the basics of racing.
“We have witnessed a number of very impressive young drivers, some we expect to have a bright future in motor racing,” said Sulaiman. The two training centers have different price tags and levels of standards; the BMW training course has a lot more professional and high tech facilities and is a lot more expensive than Thunder Arabia. The reason for this said Sulaiman is to make facilities affordable to people in order to attract youth who wish to learn the art of racing.
For the first time this November, the Australian V8 race is to be held at the BIC, the first time the event is to be held outside Australia. The race has its own fan base, which BIC officials expect will attract a large Australasian audience.
Middle East youths have been racing down streets, drag racing and maneuvering in areas with no safety or professional supervision resulting in record high deaths due to car accidents. The track doesn’t only aim to hold races but also aims to contribute toward creating a sense of safe driving. The BIC has provided the region with a long awaited premise for every man, women and child seeking speed.
