* Part of Celebrating the 130th Anniversary of the Group – Museum Plans in Manama Souq Underway *
YBA Kanoo Group Bids Farewell to Historic Manama Landmark
The Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo Group (YBA Kanoo), one of the largest independent family-owned multinationals in the Middle East, held a ceremony at the Group’s historical Manama Souq premises today to bid farewell to the offices that have been home to the family business for over 60 years. The historic building, completed in 1960, is set to be converted into a museum for tourists and locals, dedicated to preserving the family’s and the region’s heritage of entrepreneurial leadership spanning across 3 continents in over 130 years.
As part of the ceremony, the Group held a final board meeting at the location bidding an emotional farewell to a long standing landmark of trade as it is given a new lease on life, transforming into a hub of tourism and knowledge that tells the stories of the past to inspire a new generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. Present at the meeting were Group Chairman, Mr. Khalid Mohamed Kanoo, alongside Board members, as well as a handful of veteran Group staff members.
The Kanoo Museum, designed by Cultural Innovations; a leading global multi-disciplinary firm of museum experts based out of London, is a project that aims to conserve the iconic YBA Kanoo building, one of the very first steel-based buildings in the entire region, and establish the landmark as a vital cultural center that preserves the heritage and achievements of commerce and commercial families and their significant contributions to the economic, social and cultural arenas over the past century. The building is set to be stripped and remodeled later on this month to make way for the new museum plans.
Commenting on the occasion, YBA Kanoo Group Chairman, Mr. Khalid Mohamed Kanoo, said: “As one of the most established GCC families in commerce, we have always had a presence in the Souq, and now, with the Kanoo Museum project, we will continue to play a vital role here. The museum is an ideal way to document our history and preserve our family values. We have been considering this project for a long time, as it is a great opportunity to honor our forefathers and to relay our long-standing history. We are excited to repurpose the building and get the work started on this new hub of historic knowledge.”
The Kanoo Museum, located just behind ‘Bab Al Bahrain’ in the Manama Souq Area, will become an important landmark destination for visitors of the Souq, relaying the rich history of commerce within the Arabian Gulf and positively contributing to the tourism industry in the Kingdom and the region.
