WH Smith, one of the world’s most recognised travel retail brands, will operate two outlets at Bahrain International Airport’s new passenger terminal, it has been announced.
Bahrain Airport Company said a five-year agreement has been signed by Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and BAC chairman and That Al Salasil CEO Abdullah Al Mansour.
That Al Salasil is a franchisee for WH Smith, which has more than 1,500 outlets in 27 countries worldwide. It has over 1,019 stores in travel locations, including airports, train stations, and subways, with more than 154 branches in airports alone.
The retail area at the new terminal will be three times bigger than at the existing facility.
The new stores mean that WH Smith will have a presence in nine airports in the Middle East following openings in Doha, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Kuwait, Amman, Salalah Dammam and Riyadh.
Located in the arrivals and departures areas of the new terminal, the new WH Smith outlets will offer a range of snacks, drinks, books, magazines, newspapers, and other products to enhance the travel experience.
In October, it was reported that the new terminal is scheduled to open in March 2020.
The minister said in a statement: “Having the right tenants and service providers in place is essential to meet the objectives of the airport modernisation programme and the needs of passengers travelling through BIA.
“We have carefully selected each and every concessionary from among the world’s leading brands to ensure passengers enjoy an exceptional retail experience… WH Smith has long been associated with travel and we are pleased that it is now connected with Bahrain’s gateway to the world… We are looking forward to a long and successful partnership.”
Al Mansour added: “We are delighted to expand our business in the kingdom at Bahrain International Airport’s new passenger terminal building, bringing new concepts and store designs with our partners, WH Smith.”
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