Manama, Dec.6 (BNA): His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa today hailed the role of the Sunni Endowments Council (SEC) in taking care of mosques and preparing preachers – Imams and Khateebs – to spread the culture of tolerance and fraternity and focus the religious discourse on national unity and development achievements. This came as he received at Al-Safriya Palace SEC Chairman Shaikh Salman bin Read more [...]

Manama, Dec.6 (BNA): Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Dhiyab bin Saqr Al-Nuaimi today received a number of affiliates from the BDF Taskforce (Ma'rib) which is taking part in the Saudi-led Arab Alliance as part of Operation Restore Hope in Yemen. Royal Guard Commander His Highness Brigadier Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa and Royal Guard Special Force Commander His Highness Read more [...]

<!----> University students in Bahrain could obtain dual degrees from British institutions under a new initiative, according to local media. Manama’s Applied Science University (ASU) has teamed up with London’s South Bank University and Cardiff Metropolitan University to offer courses in Bahrain, its president told Gulf Daily News. Professor Ghassan Aouad said the programme was aimed at establishing Bahrain as an “education hub” in the region. “There is a big market for higher education Read more [...]

<!----> Fitch Ratings has revised Bahrain's outlook to negative from stable as it forecasts a wider double-digit budget deficit of 12.5 percent of GDP in the Gulf kingdom in 2015. The ratings agency, which also affirmed the country's long-term foreign and local currency issuer default ratings  at 'BBB-'and 'BBB' respectively, said in a statement that the revision comes as low oil prices continue to impact Bahrain's economy. It said fiscal adjustment measures introduced so far have proven Read more [...]

dnata, the Middle East’s leading travel management company, with services spanning every aspect of the travel industry, has recently entered into partnership with AIDA Cruises, Germany’s leading cruise company, to provide shore excursions to their guests in Bahrain.dnata expects to serve approximately 25,000 to 30,000 tourists to Bahrain over the next year as it services AIDAstella, one the ships in AIDA Cruises’ fleet which cruises Read more [...]

The report, which was released for the third consecutive year, examines the key statistics and trends across five indicators that are deemed to be significant for measuring the development of the $1.8 trillion Islamic finance industry. These include Quantitative Development, Knowledge, Governance, Corporate Social Responsibility and Awareness. These indicators are tracked across 108 countries, which had contributions in all or some of these indicators. According to the report, Malaysia leads IFDI Read more [...]

The ratings reflect BNI’s solid risk-adjusted capitalisation, good track record of operating profitability and strong domestic business profile. An offsetting rating factor is the limited growth potential of its domestic market driven by the current low oil price environment. BNI’s risk-adjusted capitalisation remained solid level in 2014, despite a gradual decline in recent years stemming from high dividend distributions and net premium growth. BNI’s low level of premium retention on commercial Read more [...]

Thousands of people are expected to attend a celebration of Bahrain later this week aimed at highlighting the country’s diversity and promoting peace. The “This is Bahrain in Bahrain” event will be held on Friday at the Bahrain National Stadium in Isa Town and will feature stands from embassies, ministries, schools, clubs, associations, societies and religious organisations, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication. To read further, please visit GDNonline.   Read more [...]

Manama: Bahrain is hosting “ALWANE Third Regional Summit” on Tuesday under the patronage of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Minister Zayed Al Zayani. The event is organised by Bahrain Small and Medium Enterprises Development Society in collaboration with Events Starts at Gulf Hotel, Awal ballroom from 5pm-10pm. ALWANE summit aims to create a unique platform for women entrepreneurs to explore and exchange business ideas and experiences in order to support women. It creates an Read more [...]

Manama: Bahrain-based Bank of Khartoum International (BOKI), the first international branch of Africa’s largest lender, was inaugurated at the 22nd annual World Islamic Banking Conference (WIBC 2015). At a Press conference on the sidelines of the event, Bank of Khartoum Group board member and chief executive Fadi Salim Al Faqih highlighted BOKI’s role as a bridge serving to strengthen Sudan’s ties with the GCC. “The establishment of our first overseas branch in Bahrain Read more [...]