The Bahrain International Circuit was designed by German architect Herman Tilke, the mastermind behind some of the world’s most iconic tracks. It staged its first race in 2004 and has since become the focal point of much of the kingdom’s corporate activity

ahrain’s drive to diversify its economy in the face of depleting oil reserves, coupled with a national passion for motor racing, reached a logical and satisfactory conclusion in 2004 when the kingdom hosted its inaugural Formula 1 Grand Prix. Three years later, the 4th edition attracted 75,000 spectators from 55 countries and earned Bahrain $450 million in one weekend – 4% of the country’s GDP for 2007.

“In 2002, when we realized that oil in Bahrain would soon be reaching its final years, we were faced with a dilemma - what now?” Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Bahrain International Circuit’s Chief Operating Office asks rhetorically. “We had to come up with something new in order to attract the attention of international investors. But our main challenge was first to put Bahrain on the map. Due to Bahrain’s geographic structure, we knew that it would not be possible for us to host the World Cup or the Olympic Games. So we picked the world’s 3rd largest sporting event in terms of viewers in order to raise our international profile.”

The Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) was designed by German architect Herman Tilke, the mastermind behind many of the worl’d leading circuits, at a cost of $150 million. In addition to the annual F1 Grand Prix, BIC hosts some 55 corporate events and car and motorcycle races. The popularity of the BIC is such that plans are in place to construct a new grandstand to accommodate the year-on-year rise in spectators.

“Nowadays, our biggest challenge is maintenance,” explains Sheikh Salman. “Our aim is to keep the track as it was in 2004. We are constantly cleaning it and from what we hear from other tracks, we have managed exceptionally well. Winning the Center of Excellence was a great surprise for us. The only other circuit that won this price is Paul Ricard in France, and it is a truly beautiful circuit to learn from.”

The success of BIC has been a huge boost to Bahrain’s bid to put itself under the international spotlight and has produced ancillary benefits across the board. New hotels are springing up to accommodate the annual surge in visitor numbers, meaning more rooms for year-round visitors, and the corporate side of the venture is proving a draw for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions arrivals. The Bahraini government has sanctioned the building of a business and automotive park, Sakhir City, in the vicinity and BIC already has driving academies sponsored by the oil majors and Hummer.

“I think it is important to understand that the Grand Prix initiative started with the objective to become the business catalyst for the whole country. We, as a Kingdom, wanted to invest in that,” says Sheikh Salman.