New five-star retreat for southwest Bahrain

Al Sahel Resort has announced the development of a new five-star resort on the southwest coast of Bahrain.

The announcement was made at Gateway Gulf, which brought together more than 500 global investors and business leaders in Bahrain to explore ways of unlocking the opportunities being created by the economic transformation in the GCC.

The resort is the first phase of the Al Sahel development, to be complete within two years. The unique destination will boast 1.25km of pristine coastline and while nestled away from the hustle and bustle of the city, will be within easy reach of all of the Kingdom’s major tourism destinations and transport links. The resort’s out-of-city location makes it Bahrain’s first ‘retreat’ style venue.

Khalid Al Rumaihi, chairman of Al Sahel Resorts, said: “The unique location, as well as high degree of privacy, enable us to serve regional audiences looking for exclusivity.

How the Al Sahel development will look

“Being the first of its kind in Bahrain, coupled with the high quality and variety of services and amenities on offer, it will allow us to capture the ‘longer-stay’ segment of visitors.”

Al Rumaihi said tourism was one of the highest potential growth sectors for foreign investment, accounting for 10 per cent of the total investment flows into the Kingdom last year.

“In addition to Al Sahel, we are expecting 15 new four- and five-star hotels and resorts to open across Bahrain in the next two years, joining a wide range of existing luxury brands,” he added.

The five-star resort will offer an unrivalled level of seclusion and feature both room and villa-based accommodation, and a range of entertainment and leisure components including restaurants, water features and sports, cinema, teen smart room, kids club, meeting and conference services, sports and spa facilities.

Jumeirah Group, the global hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, has already signed a hotel management agreement to operate a luxury Jumeirah hotel and spa within the first phase of the development.

José Silva, Jumeirah’s CEO said: “Jumeirah is renowned for its bespoke concept and we are excited at the prospect of bringing our hotel and spa experience to the Al Sahel development.

“With a distinct secluded beachfront ambiance, the Jumeriah Al Sahel Resort will offer 207 keys between the luxury hotel and villas, where guests will be able to enjoy our state of the art spa, as well as a range of dining, retail and sporting amenities all set within a stunningly designed resort.”

Bahrain’s tourism sector witnessed rapid growth in 2017, with the total number of tourists visiting the Kingdom increasing by 11.9 per cent.

The Kingdom is seeing further enhancement to its tourism infrastructure to support this growth, which is set to play a significant role in Bahrain’s economic diversification and contributing 6.3 per cent to the GDP. The Al Sahel Resort will continue to add new facilities, helping to drive tourism to the southwest coastal region of the Kingdom.