Day: May 22, 2023

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik today visited the new administrative capital in Cairo. He was accompanied during the visit by Dr. Assem Al Jazzar, Minister of Housing, Utilities and Urban Communities (Head of the Mission of Honour). The visit comes within the context of His Majesty the Sultan’s official visit to the Arab Republic of Egypt.

His Majesty the Sultan went on tour of the facilities of the new administrative capital, including the government quarter. He took note of the yard of the Grand Mosque, an Islamic architectural edifice that takes centre stage in the area. His Majesty had a close look at Dar Al Qur’an (Holy Quran House) at Egypt’s Islamic Cultural Centre. Whole Chapters of the Holy Qur’an are carved on the walls of the Dar. His Majesty the Sultan was briefed about the objectives of Dar Al Qur’an and the services it offers to members of the public.

His Majesty the Sultan also toured the City of Arts and Culture, intended to be a global destination that comprises a range of modern buildings and facilities. There, His Majesty the Sultan visited the Opera House and watched a visual display on the potential of the Opera House, designed in line with the loftiest international specifications. Afterwards, His Majesty the Sultan visited the Egypt’s Capitals Museum, which narrates the stories of Egyptian capital cities and their evolution over the ages.

His Majesty the Sultan voiced his admiration for the new administrative capital in Cairo, noting that its unique configuration reflects the historically deep-rooted Egyptian architecture. He commended the great efforts exerted by the Arab Republic of Egypt (the leadership, the government and the people) to accomplish this vital project. He prayed to the Almighty Allah to grant Egypt further progress and prosperity.

His Majesty the Sultan was accompanied during his visit to the Administrative Capital by HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, Gen. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, Dr. Hamad bin Said Al Aufi, Head of the Private Office, and Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League.

Source: Oman News Agency

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik left Cairo this afternoon, following an official two-day visit during which he met President Abdul Fattah el Sisi of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

His Majesty the Sultan was seen off at Cairo International Airport by the Egyptian President.

His Majesty was also seen off by Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League.

Meanwhile, His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik has sent a cable of thanks to President Abdul Fattah el Sisi of Egypt following his two-day visit.

In the cable, His Majesty the Sultan expressed his sincere appreciation to President el Sisi for the warm welcome and hospitability.

His Majesty the Sultan lauded the opportunity offered by the meeting with the Egyptian President in reviewing the bilateral relations and means of enhancing them in various spheres to serve the joint interests of the Omani and Egyptian peoples.

His Majesty the Sultan prayed to Allah the Almighty to protect President el Sisi and grant him good health, wellbeing and long life to achieve further aspirations of progress and prosperity for the Egyptian people.

During his visit, His Majesty the Sultan was accompanied by a high-ranking official delegation that comprised HH Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said, Deputy Prime Minister for Defence Affairs, Sayyid Khalid bin Hilal Al Busaidi, Minister of the Diwan of Royal Court, Gen. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Nu’amani, Minister of the Royal Office, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, Minister of Finance, Dr. Hamad bin Said Al Aufi, Head of the Private Office, Abdul Salam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, Chairman of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), Qais bin Mohammed Al Yousef, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion and Abdullah bin Nasser Al Rahbi, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Arab Republic of Egypt and its Permanent Representative to the Arab League.

Source: Oman News Agency

Minister of Defense Thabet Muhammad Saeed Al-Abbasi met, in his office, at the ministry’s headquarters, on Monday, the new commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Iraq, Jose Antonio, and the minister bid farewell to the former commander of the mission, Giovanni Iannucci, after the end of his duties in Iraq.

A statement by the Ministry of Defense stated that during the meeting, aspects of cooperation, coordination and expansion of partnership were discussed at the level of training, in addition to providing expertise in all aspects of the military establishment to develop the capabilities of the Iraqi army.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

Our youth team will face Uruguay at the first hour at dawn tomorrow, Tuesday, Baghdad time, in the opening of its campaign in the Under-20 World Cup finals in Argentina.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The National Security Adviser, Qassem Al-Araji, visited today, Monday, the Patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church in Iraq and the world, Mar Louis Sacco.

The Chancellery’s statement stated that the meeting witnessed an exchange of views on the overall situation in the country, especially the situation of Christians in their country, Iraq, and an emphasis on the importance of everyone’s solidarity to enhance societal cohesion.

During the meeting, they discussed supporting the national discourse, in order to achieve the aspirations of all components of the Iraqi people, and reaffirming the need to move forward with support for the Iraqi government’s directions and its promising national program, in service of Iraq and the Iraqis.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Prime Minister, Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani, met today, Monday, with the head of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki, and they discussed all public affairs in the country, developments in the political and security situation, and affirmation of the government’s support in its implementation steps at various levels.

The two sides stressed, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the need for Parliament to expedite the approval of the general budget in order to enable the government to implement programs and plans for providing basic needs, in addition to completing the requirements for the development of basic sectors that the government has placed on top of its priorities, related to the investment, economic and development aspects.

Source: National Iraqi News Agency

The Kingdom of Bahrain is set to host tomorrow Tuesday the first meeting of the Permanent Committee of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue between the Muslim Council of Elders and the Vatican.

The Muslim-Christian Dialogue Permanent Committee was set up per a memorandum of understanding between Abu Dhabi-based Muslim Council of Elders and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, in the Vatican City.

The committee is one of the outcomes of Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence, which was hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in November in conjunction with the historic official visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain of His Holiness Pope Francis and Al Azhar’s Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb, the Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders. The visit was made at an invitation by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The committee meeting aims to coordinate efforts and joint initiatives to foster interreligious and cultural dialogue and promote dialogue between Islam and Christianity.

President of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Khalifa, will represent Bahrain in the Muslim Council for Elders, which is working on the implementation of many initiatives and projects to promote inter-faith dialogue, in general, and dialogue between Islam and Christianity, in particular.

Bahrain’s hosting of the Permanent Committee of the Muslim-Christian Dialogue reflects the lofty approach of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in supporting all efforts aimed at promoting dialogue and human coexistence.

Dr. Ahmed El-Tayeb and His Holiness Pope Francis signed in Abu Dhabi in 2019 the Human Fraternity Document, which is considered the most important in the history of interreligious dialogue.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, received General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Pakistan’s Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSCC).

General Sahir Shamshad Mirza conveyed the greetings of Dr. Arif Alvi, President of Pakistan, and Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, and their best wishes to the Kingdom of Bahrain and its people of further progress and prosperity.

HM King Hamad welcomed General Mirza and asked him to convey his greetings and sincere wishes of continued progress and prosperity to the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan. He affirmed close historical relations between Bahrain and Pakistan and growing development in various sectors.

HM the King praised bilateral cooperation in all fields, noting the role of such visits in strengthening relations, especially in the military and defence fields. He expressed his appreciation for the honorable stances of Pakistan and its cooperation in maintaining security and stability in the region. He also commended the role of the Pakistani community in the Kingdom of Bahrain and its contributions in the development process.

The meeting discussed topics of common interest and the latest regional and international developments.

HM King Hamad granted General Sahir Shamshad Mirza “the Order of Bahrain” in appreciation for his efforts in strengthening military and defence cooperation.

The Pakistani JCSCC Chairman expressed his gratitude to HM the King for honouring him and praised HM’s efforts in consolidating bilateral relations, especially in the defence and military aspects.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW), Hala Al-Ansari, said that the approval of the bicameral National Assembly to scrap Article (353) of the Penal Code is consistent with the recommendations made by the SCW in 2015, based on the Sharia principles that regulate the marital relationship and confirm the freedom of will and consent between the two parties.

She affirmed that the abolition of Article (353) of the Penal Code is in line with the provisions of the Family Law (Article 24- and Article 27), which require consent between the two parties, noting that the move taken by the legislative branch would relieve the affected women of any pressures that may lead them to accept the fait accompli in case of an assault.

Al-Ansari asserted that the abolition of the aforementioned article would contribute to raising the levels of protection for women and enhancing family and social security and stability.

She paid tribute to the Bahrain Women Union and civil society institutions for backing the scrapping of the article and raising awareness of its importance, noting that the decision would ensure the stability of criminal justice and protect the rights of individuals and society alike.

The SCW Secretary-General indicated that the removal of the clause from the Penal Code would support the kingdom’s national efforts to combat violence against women.

It would also reflect positively on the kingdom’s efforts to honour its international commitments regarding the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), she added.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF) has signed an agreement with Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH) to contribute in “Ishraqat” card project through which health services will be provided at low cost to widows and orphans affiliated with RHF.

The agreement was signed by RHF Assistant Secretary General for Planning and Charity Resources Development Yousef Yaqoob and BSH Executive Director for Operations Majid Aradeti. It stipulates reducing the cost of certain medical procedures, services and consultations.

The RHF Assistant Secretary General for Planning and Charity Resources Development hailed partnership with BSH to serve the orphans and widows.

The BSH Executive Director for Operations voiced pride in cooperating with RHF and supporting humanitarian work in the Kingdom of Bahrain by providing medical services to families registered with RHF.

Source: Bahrain News Agency

The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) announced that a signing ceremony was held where the CEOs of all licensed operators were present and signed a new undertaking.

This collaborative effort marks a groundbreaking achievement, making Bahrain the first country in the region to implement consumer protection measures through an undertaking.

Effective September 1, the new undertaking will introduce five main consumer protection measures.

The Contract Summary: Licensed operators will provide consumers with a concise document along with their service contracts, summarizing the key terms and conditions of the services they are subscribing to.

Contract Termination and End of Contract Notifications: Consumers will receive an end-of-contract notification when their service contracts end, which will specify the date on which the contract will end. Furthermore, if a consumer requests to terminate a service, they will be informed of any outstanding charges, including early termination fees.

Billing Transparency and Accuracy: Licensed operators are committed to providing consumers with transparent tariff information and accurate billing and shall implement measures to ensure that billing information is error-free across all subscriptions and billing methods, giving consumers confidence in the accuracy of their bills.

Tele-sales, Value-Added Services, and Multi-Factor Authentications: Licensed operators shall only promote their telecommunications services and products in a fair, transparent, accurate, and responsible way. Key terms and conditions, including tariffs, contract terms, and termination conditions, will be clearly communicated. Additionally, consumers will have direct access to view their service subscriptions, manage value-added services, device installment plans, and track data usage.

Service Quality Levels: If a consumer experiences a service or product quality level that falls below the promised standards and the issue is not resolved within a reasonable timeframe, consumers will have the right to terminate their service contracts without incurring early termination charges. This provision ensures that consumers receive the quality of service they have been promised.

The TRA commends the CEOs and management teams of all licensed operators for their commitment to consumer protection and for signing this undertaking. Their dedication to improving consumer experiences sets a positive example for the telecommunications industry in Bahrain and the wider region.

Philip Marnick, General Director of the TRA, said that the signing of these groundbreaking undertaking solidifies Bahrain’s leadership in prioritizing consumer protection.

“We commend the licensed operators for their commitment to empowering consumers. This initiative will elevate consumer experiences and reinforce Bahrain’s position as a regional leader,” he added.

Shaikh Abdullah bin Humood AlKhalifa, the Director of Consumer and Communications, added that Bahrain is setting a new standard in the region with the introduction of these comprehensive consumer protection measures.

“We extend our appreciation to the licensed operators for their support in safeguarding consumer interests. This collective effort will create a fair and transparent telecommunications market, empowering consumers and fostering long-lasting trust,” the director said.

The TRA believes that these measures will strengthen the telecommunications market in Bahrain, providing consumers with the confidence and trust they deserve.

Source: Bahrain News Agency