GCC Visitors Flock to Final Day of Almond Festival

Almonds drew strong interest from GCC visitors on the final day of the three-day Bahrain Almond Festival held in Hoorat A’ali, as families and tourists explored a wide range of fresh produce, homemade products and agricultural displays.

The festival featured fresh Habban almonds alongside almond ice cream, sweets, jams, roasted coffee and Bahraini honey, with steady footfall reported from morning until closing hours.

Local seller Abu Kareem said the current Habban season is at its peak and typically lasts between four to six weeks before the jumbo variety arrives. He noted that despite increasing competition from imported produce, Bahraini almonds continue to maintain strong local demand.

Visitors were presented with several varieties of Habban almonds, including yellow, red-fleshed and mixed types, with prices ranging between BD5 and BD10 depending on quality and size.

Beyond fresh produce, productive families and small businesses showcased almond-based innovations such as mabooj, desserts and ice cream, highlighting growing opportunities for seasonal food entrepreneurship.

The festival also featured almond seedlings, with vendor Sadiq Al Marzooq noting strong interest from GCC visitors keen on cultivating the trees themselves. He said the seedlings are suited to Gulf climates and added an educational dimension to the event by encouraging agricultural awareness alongside commercial activity.

Organisers and vendors said the turnout reflected a rising appreciation for local agricultural heritage and the potential for expanding value-added products built around Bahrain’s seasonal crops.