New Unesco site is pride of Bahrainis
Suad Hamada (Bahrain Beat) / 1 December 2013
CROWN PRINCE Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, attended the ceremony to mark the official status of Bahrain’s Pearl Road as an Unesco World Heritage site.
At the ceremony, Prince Salman was presented with the Unesco certificate for the site in Muharraq, ‘Testimony of an island economy’, from Nada Al Hassan, head of the Arab Countries Division at Unesco’s World Heritage Centre. The ceremony was also attended by Culture Minister Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa alongside a range of other officials and invited guests.
Crown Prince Salman receiving the Unesco certificate.
The Crown Prince said the new status for the range of sites in Muharraq that embody the traditional pearling industry is a source of pride for all Bahrainis. He stated that it signified the value of Bahraini pearls and recalled the country’s long-standing reputation for an industry that has contributed vitally to Bahrain’s culture and national character.
He noted the strong support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to projects that highlight the history and culture of Bahrain. He then paid tribute to the Ministry of Culture’s tireless efforts to secure this status, making the Pearl Road the second site in the Kingdom to be added to the World Heritage List after the Bahrain Fort achieved the status in 2005. He welcomed the ministry’s work to preserve the sites and highlight the unique contribution pearling has made to the Bahrain’s economy, culture and history.
Princess Sabeeka backs women entrepreneurs
Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), has stressed the need to make all efforts to provide the necessary support to women in the field of entrepreneurship.
Princess Sabeeka, who opened the Bahrain Women’s Competence Development Centre (Riyadat) in A’ali last week, said it was important to remove all obstacles facing women so as to enable them achieve family stability and allow them to contribute to the national economy and promote their role as partners to men in the nation-building and development marches.
Princess Sabeeka said the centre will provide economic security for the Bahraini women through cooperation between the public and the private sectors. In this regard, she lauded the existing partnership between the SCW and the Bahrain Development Bank in implementing such a milestone project, a pioneering project in the Arab region, praising the landmark contributions of Tamkeen to the centre.
She added that through ‘Riyadat’, the SCW aims to pave the way for Bahraini women to start their own enterprises. The BD3 million-centre includes over 50 units related to clothes, accessories, gifts, furniture, perfumes and publications, as well as a number of service facilities such as restaurants, cafes, mobile companies and design companies. –news@khaleejtimes.com