We are proud to announce our official appointment as Enma Mall’s marketing and communications partner for the year! After successful collaborations over the few months, we are delighted to officially sign with Middle Region Development and CBRE. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to elevate this mall to new heights in Bahrain.
The Manama Week Entrepreneurship Forum was hosted by the Capital Governorate. Wafa Alobaidat, CEO of Obai & Hill, starred in this video that premiered right before her presentation.
I Heart Film Bahrain spotlighted our agency in this brief Instagram video. We are thrilled to be a part of their upcoming series, successful women in business. We hope to continue collaborating with them in future projects!
OBAI & HILL WINS “STARTUP OF THE YEAR” FOR THE BAHRAIN AWARD FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Seef District, Manama – February 18th 2015 – We are absolutely ecstatic to announce that OBAI & HILL has won the award for “Startup of the Year!” The Kingdom’s first Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship recognizes and celebrates the achievements of Bahrain’s entrepreneurs. The goal is to further encourage socio-economic development to help spur a private sector-driven economy. Enterprises are evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate vision, ambition and business acumen, and winners are recognized as being trailblazers who have brought new innovations to Bahrain.
Wafa AlObaidat, the founder and creative director of OBAI & HILL, started the company in 2010 and officially registered in 2012, a public relations and design agency that has not stopped growing, expanding and succeeding since its inception. Wafa’s Q and A session reveals her experiences starting a business, her plans for the future and her emotions after winning this prestigious award.
Q: Why do you believe that OBAI & HILL deserves the award for “Startup of the Year?”
A: Obai & Hill has been continuously growing since it began in 2010 with our first client, Khaleejesque. Now, we have served over 40 clients around the region, our team has grown to 11 members, and we have more than 6,000 combined followers on social media. This award really gives us the extra push, serving as our first highly prestigious award as well as some added financial support in order to grow and develop the company further. We sincerely hope that this recognition allows Obai & Hill to set the example for future startups in the GCC.
Q: How has OBAI & HILL helped the socio-economic development of Bahrain?
A: Obai & Hill has hired a team of locals to take on the challenge of standing out among other more established and recognized brands in the region. I have offered employment to young, creative Bahrainis who are full of energy and fresh perspectives. In addition to the “basic” services that my agency provides, we have also started two separate product lines, Barrel and Drum and Sukkar, and a talent management subsidiary to the company. We are constantly expanding by requesting and providing services simultaneously to strengthen the Kingdom’s economy.
Q: Do you believe the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship will make a difference in Bahrain’s private sector? How?
A: Absolutely. I think the fact that the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship takes the time to investigate and assess all potential winners and their respective enterprises proves the Kingdom’s interest in the private sector. The recognition of few individuals for their success not only sets an example for other startups, but also encourages those who are thinking of starting their own business.
Q: Do you think the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship is strong enough to carry on for years and years to come?
A: I think the turnout at the event speaks for itself. It is obvious that people appreciate this type of friendly competition and will work harder to prove themselves. With these types of awards, it is crucial to maintain consistency to always give people hope. I believe the Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship was a success right from the very start, and thus will continue on for many years as a mark of Bahrain’s support of the private sector.
Q: Have the last few years of your professional life lead up to this moment? Why?
A: Even though I could not be more proud to win this award, I have started and grown my business to invest in myself and in the Kingdom of Bahrain, not merely for the purposes of recognition. Having said that, I see this award as a symbol of encouragement and a reminder that I have made a difference. Now, I am more driven than ever to further excel and expand my business in hopes that one day it will become the name people recognize for top-notch services in PR and design.
Q: Looking back from the first day you decided to start your business till now, is there anything you would have done differently?
A: If I could start all over again, I would hire an accountant first and foremost. When I first launched Sketchbook Magazine, we were getting funds from events and advertisements, but they were not managed well. There was no budgeting or fixed allowances and salaries being given out. When I started my agency, my first investment was an accountant who made it his priority to control spending, handle budgeting, and negotiate production fees. Now, my accountant is my right hand man. I speak to him before making any decision, and we have been in a great place financially ever since.
Q: In regards to your enterprise, what are you most proud of?
A: In general, I am so proud of my team and the agency. We have come a long way in a short amount of time. However, I think I am most proud of the branding of my agency. I had a vision that I would hire young, creative, fresh minds that would offer clients that little extra something that could not be found anywhere else. I feel Obai & Hill has achieved this goal, and this branding helps us stand out from the crowd.
The Bahrain Award for Entrepreneurship is an annual event that offers specially designed prizes for winners in order to help further their business. More information can be found on their website.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Obai & Hill
Design and PR Agency
Nada El Barshoumi
nada@obaiandhill.com
17536092
It’s finally happening! We are super excited to share with you all this great news about our first brand lunch!
Barrel and drum invites you to celebrate it’s lunch party on the 28th of January 2015 at Ezmeel in Riyadat Mall Bahrain at 7:00 pm!
Join us for a night of grub, fun and music by the local band ‘The Relocators’ Don’t miss out!
Based in the Kingdom of Bahrain – BLSC is the sole provider of subsidized live, fresh and chilled meat. A subsidized imitative, BLSC was borne out of the need to privatize the meat industry in Bahrain. Obai & Hill is pleased to announce Bahrain Livestock Company as their latest client, for whom they will be providing a full re-brand and identity design. Stay tuned for more news on this exciting project!
EDxAhliaUniversity is an independently organized TED event supported by Ahlia University and is the first TEDx university event held in Bahrain. An initiative that brings together a diverse group of intellects, cultural enthusiasts, thinkers and innovators to surface ideas worth spreading.
The event’s theme is based on the prefix Re-, to create one’s own version of an existing something (re-create, re-contruct, re-design). A hundred used books were distributed to individuals and organizations as part of the Re-create Challlenge to be re-created or re-designed. We were very excited to take part in this brief and accepted the challenge!
We wanted to create something that was both functional and decorative for our office, reminding us to constantly re-invent and re-innovate. We took on the idea of creating a lamp that also serves as a modern interpretation of a Christmas tree (given the festive season). We wanted to create something that we could continue to reinvent as the occasion saw fit so the lamp shade was ideal for this.
Besides that, we as a team also wanted to focus on collaboration as a creative agency – creating something that everyone contributed to.
We are elated to announce that we will be working with one of the GCC’s most successful restaurant chains – Yum Yum Tree Restaurants!
First established in 1996 at the prime location of Exhibition Road in Hoora, Yum Yum Tree has become a household name in Bahrain. Based on the concept of an international-style food court – Yum Yum Tree provides customers with a novel concept of a “restaurant within a restaurant”. Customers are invited to sit down, relax and enjoy a variety of cuisines ranging from east to west in a comfortable family friendly atmosphere.
Served fast and hot the food is prepared right before the customer’s eyes in a 5-star yet at a very affordable price. Our tasty meals are a welcome and convenient break in any busy day. Indoor children’s play areas and video games enhance the Yum Yum Tree experience that has a little something for everyone.
Yum Yum Tree is proud to serve customers in over 140 outlets across the gulf, along with 15,000 happy customers every day.
Yum Yum Tree encompasses the following concepts:
Stay tuned for further updates and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
O Talent is Bahrain’s first talent agency that provides the newest and most innovative techniques of branding and strategic PR for our influencers to gain exposure, expand their audience reach, and help them be discovered. O Talent is the one-stop-shop for personalities across all professions including bloggers, fashion designers, athletes, models, comedians, writers, musicians, and many more to showcase their talent and gain the opportunity to collaborate with companies and other influencers for events and projects.
During O Talent’s brief period of operations, the firm has managed to sign several talents across many industries including Bahraini Fashion stylist and blogger Duaa Zainal, lifestyle blogger Mara Mostafa, Michigan-based blogger Winnie Détwa, Bahraini fashion bloggers The Syeda Sisters, Australian lifestyle blogger Georgina Jensen, Kuwaiti blogger Dana Al Owaisi, Bahraini sports nutrition practitioner Mohammed Saad, and Bahraini fashion designer Reem Buqais-Rivera.
For more information regarding O Talent or our influencers, please visit www.otalent.me or email pr@obaiandhill.com
Following relocation to a stunning 440 square meter showroom in Amwaj Islands, Lightex Bahrain has cemented its status as one of Bahrain’s premier lighting and furniture showrooms. Housing over 12 luxury brands including Flos, Molteni, Dada, Vistosi and Lutron, the space boasts a wide variety of high-end furniture, kitchen systems and lighting fixtures. Lightex is dedicated to offering the best interior furnishings, home design resources and smart home solutions.
Initially established as lighting specialists, Lightex was born out of a desire to help customers find the right lights, showing them the best way to light their homes, whether they live in a studio or a palace. After developing a well deserved reputation for their expertise, reasonable pricing, as well as extensive and stylish selection of lighting, and excellent customer service – they then decided to expand in to home furnishings as well.
Lightex also specializes in large-scale commercial projects, and has recently completed a grandiose installation for the infamous Four Seasons Hotel, opening later this year in Bahrain Bay.
“We are immensely proud of our commercial projects and collaborations, because it gives us an opportunity to display our work for everyone to see – almost like a travelling museum. These projects are never easy to complete – a lot of long nights, hard work and planning go into every single detail, but regardless they are some of the most satisfying moments to see it complete” – said Lightex designer and representative, Fatima.
At the Lightex showroom, customers also have access to a bespoke service. Whether clients seek simple branding on a desk or furniture for a unique space, Lightex can fit the requisite. At Lightex, the customers can have it their own way.
Lightex is located at Meritas House next to Choueifat School in Amwaj Islands and is open from 9AM to 7PM, Sunday through Thursday.
Call +973 16014455 today to schedule a tour of the facilities or for more information.
For more information on Lightex or the brands that they represent, shoppers can visit their newly launched website at www.lightex.com.bh
