Sakhir ( ) is a

desert A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About on ...

area located in the Southern Governorate of

Bahrain Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and a ...

, near Zallaq. It contains the

Al-Sakhir Palace Al-Sakhir Palace, also known as Sakhir Palace, is a palace in the Sakhir desert region of western Bahrain. The palace lies off the Zallaq Highway, northeast of the Bahrain International Circuit, the town of Zallaq and the University of Bahrain. It ...

, built in 1870. Camping in Sakhir during the winter months is a popular activity in the country.

Notable sites

In the early 2000s, the area saw many changes such as the creation of the University of Bahrain main campus and Bahrain International Circuit, the home of Formula One's

Bahrain Grand Prix The Bahrain Grand Prix ( ar, جائزة البحرين الكبرى), officially known as the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix for sponsorship reasons, is a Formula One motor racing event in Bahrain. The first race took place at the Bahrain Interna ...

. During the

2020 Formula One season The 2020 FIA Formula One World Championship was the motor racing championship for Formula One cars which was the 71st running of the Formula One World Championship. It marked the 70th anniversary of the first Formula One World Drivers' Cham ...

, the track hosted a second race, the Sakhir Grand Prix, using an alternate track layout. Sakhir is also the location of the biannual

Bahrain International Airshow The Bahrain International Airshow is a biennial airshow hosted at the Sakhir Air Base in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event is organised by the Civil Aviation Affairs of Bahrain in association with Farnborough International, and is sponsored by ...

as well as the Al Areen Wildlife Park, the only

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological o ...

and

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to z ...

located on land in Bahrain.

Bell Sports Bell Sports is an American maker of bicycle and motorcycle helmets. The company is a subsidiary of Vista Outdoor, after BRG Sports –owner of Riddell football helmets– sold some of its brands (including Bell, Giro, C-Preme, and Blackburn) to ...

, an American manufacturer of bicycle and motorsport helmets, has a showroom located near Bahrain International Circuit.

References

Deserts of Bahrain Populated places in Bahrain {{Bahrain-stub