Building on the success of last year, BMF 2011 has received favourable responses from leading maritime companies, who have pledged their support as sponsors of the week-long festival which is being held from the 25th-to-29th September 2011. Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Yard (ASRY) is BMF’s strategic sponsor for the second consecutive year, while Bahrain Flour Mills is the silver sponsor for this year’s event. Bronze sponsors include Al Jazeera Shipping Co, Bahrain Polytechnic, GAC Bahrain, APM Terminals and UCO Marines.
“The attendance and support from distinguished international and local maritime professionals, shows the importance the industry places on this year’s theme – Piracy: orchestrating a response,” GOP Director General, Hassan Ali Almajed said.
“The contribution of such organisations will encourage the interaction of prominent maritime industry professionals, which is of course key to allow knowledge sharing on how to combat this issue. Moreover, it will assist all stakeholders to adopt a practical, comprehensive and sustainable strategy to address maritime security and best practices to counter piracy. We also extend our sincere thanks for the interest and support received from all sponsors.”
This year’s BMF is looking to hold a number of different activities, one of which is the BMF photography competition titled “Reflection of the Two Seas”. Participants will have the opportunity to capture aspects of Bahrain’s maritime life, industry or landscape, in both abstract and figurative forms which can be submitted under three different categories: 10-16 years old; 16+ years old, and one dedicated category for staff and relatives of the GOP and sponsoring organisations. Photographs that speak about the quintessential spirit of the Bahraini maritime tradition will be showcased at an exhibition as part of the BMF activities being held in Seef Mall from the 26th September to 1st of October.
Besides the industry seminar and the photography contest, the other maritime-themed activities will include the BMF Kids Carnival at the Bahrain City Center, lecture for secondary school students in addition to site tours to Khalifa Bin Salman Port (KBSP) and ASRY.
World Maritime Day is an annual global initiative launched by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which aims to commemorate the international maritime industry’s contribution towards the global economy, specifically in the shipping and logistics sectors. The BMF was conceptualized by the GOP as an initiative to commemorate World Maritime Day (WMD) which is usually celebrated during the last week in September focusing on a single theme.