Bahrain International Circuit (BIC)

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC)

P. O. Box 26381 Sakhir - Bahrain
Tel: 17451044 Fax: 17451262
www.bahraingp.com

“THE HOME OF MOTORSPORT IN THE MIDDLE EAST”

SHAIKH SALMAN BIN ISA AL KHALIFA
CHIEF EXECUTIVE 

ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED figures in Bahrain’s motoring scene, HE Shaikh Salman Bin Isa AI Khalifa, in his role as Chief Executive of Bahrain international Circuit, has been instrumental in further cementing the Kingdom’s image as the home of motorsport in the region.

Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) celebrated more than one decade of motor racing, where dreams are born and memories are made.
BIC is one of the world’s premier motorsport facilities, operating and serving the Kingdom of
Bahrain with pride, passion and performance.

In 2004, Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) became the first-ever host of a Formula One Grand Prix in the Middle East.
This was made possible through the vision of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister.

The Crown Prince had a dream of raising the Kingdom of Bahrain’s profile internationally through BIC. This would be realized sooner than expected.

Since its opening, BIC has won many international awards, and it has helped the Kingdom of Bahrain become a favourite destination for many on the annual FIA Formula One World Championship.

Aside from Formula One, BIC boasts an impressive portfolio of top international racing series held throughout the year. Among them are the GP2 Series, the FIA World Endurance Championship and the CIK-FIA World Junior Karting Championship.

And with its wide array of on-track activities that offer the public a chance to personally experience the unique thrills of motor racing, BIC has established itself as “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”.

In 2014, BIC celebrated its 10th year of operation as well as the hosting of its landmark 10th edition of the Formula One
Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix.

The special occasion was marked by the Bahrain Grand Prix being held for the very first time as a night race, with the one-of-a-kind desert track being brilliantly lit up by an army of 495 light posts ranging from 10 to 45 metres in height and fitted with up to 5,000 luminaries all connected together by over 500 kilometres of cable.

The end-result was a motorsport experience like never before seen in Sakhir, and both fans and Formula One pundits alike were quick to describe the race as one of the greatest Formula One Grands Prix of all time.

The first 10 years of BIC has been spectacular, but its future promises to be even brighter.

Shaikh Salman said “Many people — quite understandably — see the BIC and Fi as a place of glamour and celebrities. For me, as a true racing fan, my fondest memories are not about rubbing shoulders with the great and the good of Fi. For me, the best memories arethose where you can see the elation of the fans in the stands during the hardest fought races we have hosted at the BIC. Of course,2004 stands out as it was our first ever Fi race. What was especially impressive about that, was our award for the best organized race of the year — that made me so proud of the hard work of the whole BIC team. 2014, as our first night race, was also a highlight and happened to be the most exciting Fi race we have 

ever hosted. Record crowds watched the most exciting cars and drivers around the world. You can’t really beat that.”

We hope to build on the success of the Bahrain Grand Prix from previous years and hope for an even better one this time around. Then, we will work hard to transfer that success to the national racing scene for the remainder of the current season and beyond. We still have many national events to run, and a handful of major international events, as well such

as the World Endurance Championship in November, so we are still going to be very busy over the course of the next few months.”

“What many people fail to appreciate is how busy we are for the whole season — we hosted a total of 350 individual events last year, so that’s enough to keep us pretty busy!” mentioned Shaikh Salman.

Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa graduated from National American University in Denver, Colorado with a degree in Applied Management.

Following his graduation, he started working in the Bahraini government with the Civil Service Bureau and then with the General Organisation for Youth and Sports (GOYS).

In 2004, following the inaugural Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix, Shaikh Salman took his first official role at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) as Head of Governmental Affairs.

He was later appointed Director of PR and Governmental Affairs, and then with BIC growing from strength to strength in 2007 and 2008, recognition of his contributions saw him promoted to BIC Chief Operating Officer.

Having played an integral role in the development and running of many aspects of BIC since its inception, Shaikh Salman took on the position of Acting Chief Executive Officer for eight months.

In October of 2010, Zayed R Alzayani, Chairman of the Board at BIC, announced Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa as Chief Executive of “The Home of Motorsport in the Middle East”, the prestigious post he continues to hold today.

Board Members

Arif Rahimi
Chairman

Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa
Chief Executive

Sh Abdulla Bin Isa Al Khalifa

Sh. Tariq Bin
Mohammed Al Khalifa

Mr Tariq Al Saffar

 Mazin Khoury

Fawaz Al Gosaibi

Hamad Faisal AlMalki