December 2016 7 Seasons greetings to you all as we head towards the end of the year with a calendar more packed than ever and a magazine so full we struggled to fit it all in. The month starts with a whole round of Christmas Tree lightings across the island, then National Day brings the annual festival at Bahrain International Circuit – details were still under wraps as we went to press, but you can be guaranteed it will be an unmissable event with entertainment for young and old alike and the Kingdom’s biggest fireworks display. Keep an eye on our social media for more information as it’s released. Throughout December there are festive fairs, fun activities, concerts, children’s entertainment and special meal deals ensuring everyone a good dose of Christmas spirit. You’ll find all the details in our Happenings and Festive Dining sections and if you need inspiration for a gift for that special someone, we’ve got that covered too with a fun his and hers gift guide. Other big events to look out for are the mixed martial arts Brave 2 battle, the wonderful Building Bridges Film Festival, annual arts festival The Nest and the Kingdom’s thrilling Iron Man sporting spectacle. This is the time of year when, more than ever, Bahrain’s nightlife scene comes into its own with visits from international performers such as Tinchy Stryder and Javi Barreda, of Café Mambo Ibiza, check out the After Dark section for information on these and all the best New Year parties in town. As always our interview section brings you exclusives with influential names including the new Italian Ambassador, HE Domenico Bellato, and Diane Klaimi, environmental expert with the United Nations, while in the Annual Review Khalid Almoayed, of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, looks back on 2016 and legal eagle Qays Zu’bi tells us his hopes for 2017. We also celebrate the relationship between Bahrain and Japan with interviews with HE Kiyoshi Asako, Japanese Ambassador and Nasser Al Arayedh of the Bahrain Japanese Business and Friendship Society. In the Motoring section, Charlie Holding gets behind the wheel of new offerings from VW and Hyundai and falls a little in love while Dick Potter puts the new Volvo through its paces in Oman. With all this as well as our regular round-up of gadgets, movies and more there’s plenty to keep you busy right through to 2017. We wish you happy holidays from all at Bahrain This Month! THE TEAM Publisher and Chairman George F. Middleton Email: [email protected] Editorial Director Liz O’Reilly Editor Apple Sharma Contributors Charlie Holding, Behnaz Sanjana, Puja Tiwari Print Production Manager Sabu Sebastian Layout and Graphics Romeo San Miguel, Gopal Nambiar Photography Editor Mona Abdul Jabbar Staff Photographers Subeesh Kumar N S, Ranjith Mohan Administration and Finance Samson Vaz, Marlyn Ragasa, Kadambari S Corporate Affairs Director Bassem A. Al Khabbaz Media Sales Marise Prata Dos Santos, Randa Ghazi Howais Distribution Team CM Abdul Rahman, Gopal Arul Kumar Distributor Al Hilal Corporation Photography Picture Arabia: [email protected] Printing Press Dar Akhbar Al Khaleej W.L.L., Bahrain Published monthly by RED HOUSE MARKETING P.O. 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Bahrain This Month is a member of BPA Worldwide December 2016 ~ Vol. 20 ~ Issue 12 Arts Culture Clubs Sports Interviews Lifestyle Dining Nightlife SEASONAL SHOPPING | MOTORING | GADGETS GALORE YOUR GUIDE TO A GREAT WAY OF LIFE www.bahrainthismonth.com Annual Review The Year That Was And The Year Ahead Japan Supplement A Special Report Festive Fare Holiday Food Fantasy Interviews • Italian Ambassador HE Domenico Bellato • BCCI Chairman Khalid Almoayed • Environmental Expert Diane Klaimi Happenings • The Nest • Christmas Tree Lightings • MMA: Brave 2 ‘The Dynasty’ • Mohammed Abdu Concert • Film Festival December 2016 Bahrain This Month George F. Middleton Publisher and Chairman COVER Cover Picture: Happy Holidays! Connect with Bahrain This Month: www.facebook.com/bahrainthismonth www.twitter.com/BHThisMonth www.instagram/bahrainthismonth www.YouTube.com/bahrainthismonth Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube The only Lifestyle Magazine distributed with the GDN www.bahrainthismonth.com
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