The event, organised by the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) in collaboration with Tamkeen and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) under the theme “Agricultural Technology”, will be open to the public from February 27.
With more than 130 exhibitors covering a 7500-square-metre area, the show will include a special display celebrating its history and development over the last 10 years 20 international companies will be participating through the UNIDO stand, while 31 regional and international companies will be exhibiting independently.
Participating countries include Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia, France, Belgium, Spain, Japan and Uganda.
Among the technologies on display are various types of greenhouses, ‘green walls’ (walls used as a growing medium, partially or completely covered with vegetation), ‘green roofs’ (planting on the roofs of buildings), and kitchen gardens and other technologies that help grow plants in a domestic environment.
Also on display will be the latest in urban planning and landscaping, and methods of producing, treating and economically utilising water.
This year’s BIGS Farmer’s Market will host six Bahraini farmers (to be chosen randomly through a raffle draw), as well as the Agricultural Center for Vocational Training that is run by the Bahrain Society for Mental Disability and Autism.
International Australian marine abstract artist Christopher Hoogan will be exhibiting his work for the second year in a row. He will also conduct art classes for visitors, including a session for autistic children.
The 49th annual Amateur Flower and Vegetable Competition, organised by the Bahrain Garden Club (BGC), and other contests by the Education Ministry will also be held on the sidelines of the event.
The Bahrain International Garden Shows attracts about 20,000 visitors every year and is considered a one stop shop for experts and hobbyists alike. The number of visitors has increased from around 6,000 in the early years to more than 16,000 last year.