Bahraini crown prince chairs regular weekly cabinet meeting

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, chaired at the Gudaibiya Palace today this week’s cabinet meeting, during which significant initiatives and the Kingdom’s focus on bolstering trade links with international partners were discussed.
The Cabinet highlighted the importance of His Majesty’s most recent visit to the Royal Academy of Police in recognising the dedication of all Public Security officers in protecting the Kingdom and all its people from acts of violence and terrorism. The Cabinet further discussed His Majesty’s directives to establish a free healthcare centre equipped with the latest medical equipment for all officers sustaining permanent injuries, noting that this initiative reflects the significant role played by officers in defending and protecting the Kingdom.
The Cabinet also discussed the decision of UNESCO’s Executive Council to renew His Majesty’s award for the integration of ICT in education for another six years, highlighting how this privilege demonstrates the Kingdom’s commitment to further developing its education sector by introducing intuitive technologies that improve education and learning environments, in line with best international practices.
Turning to Bahrain’s continued commitment to further enhancing the Kingdom’s tourism sector and providing a better quality of life for all Bahrain’s citizens, His Royal Highness stressed the importance of pressing ahead with His Majesty’s directives to developing public beaches and providing public entertainment facilities.
In this regard, the Cabinet asked the infrastructure and services committee to coordinate with the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning, the Economic Development Board and the Ministry of Culture to prepare a proposal for the development of public areas and beaches.
The Cabinet went on to commend the efforts of various government entities in swiftly attending to the instances of ceiling damage at a shopping complex in Riffa, following the instructions of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. In addition, the Cabinet stressed the importance of taking all necessary measures in light of the independent investigation being conducted by the Ministry of Works, and the investigation being conducted by the Southern Governorate in coordination with other relevant entities from the private and public sectors to reveal the causes of the accident.
The Cabinet went on to emphasise the importance of the recent visit to China and Hong Kong by a Bahraini business delegation, led by the Economic Development Board (EDB). The Cabinet particularly highlighted the outcomes of this visit, which sought to expand and build on His Majesty’s most recent visit to China. The Cabinet further added that such visits help support the Kingdom’s focus on building trade links with international markets and reinforce the role of the private sector as a vital pillar of Bahrain’s sustainable and diverse economy.
A number of decisions were made during this week’s cabinet meeting, including:
1. Private and public education: the Cabinet charged the education development committee with outlining necessary steps to boost the performance of pupils. This follows a review by the Cabinet of ten reports covering nineteen public schools and four private schools and another ten reports covering higher education institutions as well as the results of final exams from grades three, six and nine. The reports have been prepared by the National Authority for Qualifications and Quality Assurance of Education and Training (QQA).
2. Infrastructure and development projects: His Royal Highness the Crown Prince stressed the importance of maintaining Bahrain’s continued commitment to infrastructure development. This follows the Cabinet’s review of the breakdown of pubic tenders specific to the Ministry of Works in Q3 this year:
A total of 27 approved tenders worth c. BHD 31million allocated for infrastructure projects including road works, building and sanitation
A total of 30 projects tendered totalling c. BHD 35million which will also be allocated for various road works, building and sanitation projects
3. Agreement between Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Islamic Development Bank: the Cabinet approved the draft law on the ratification of production and franchise agreements with the Islamic Development Bank. These agreements are aimed at protecting the legacy of pearls and enhancing urban and economic development in Muharraq.
4. MOU between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of Cuba: the Cabinet referred the prospective MOU aimed at enhancing diplomatic relations with the Republic of Cuba to the legal affairs committee.