The Deputy Prime Minister chairs the weekly Cabinet Meeting

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Deputy Prime Minister, HE Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, today chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Cabinet commended His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s directives to reallocate the funds set aside for the celebration of His Majesty the King’s silver jubilee to charitable societies and funds. This transfer will be managed through the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.

The Cabinet commended His Majesty the King’s ongoing noble humanitarian initiatives to support efforts that promote solidarity, cooperation, and community partnership.

The Cabinet congratulated the pilgrims from the Kingdom of Bahrain on their safe return from the Hajj pilgrimage and commended the Bahrain Pilgrimage Mission for facilitating the journey for citizens and residents.

The Cabinet also expressed its gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for ensuring the utmost comfort and care for all pilgrims, including those from Bahrain, and congratulated Saudi Arabia's leadership, government, and people on the successful organisation of this year’s Hajj season.

The Minister of the Interior briefed the Cabinet on the latest developments of the committee’s efforts to review all cases of acquisition of Bahraini citizenship since 2010, including cases of fraud in obtaining Bahraini citizenship.

The committee was formed following an investigation carried out by the Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs on those who acquired Bahraini citizenship since 2010, which yielded information on some individuals that have provided inaccurate or forged documents to obtain citizenship, misuse citizenship, or harm the Kingdom’s interests and community security, in addition to those who violated the conditions of the continuity of holding citizenship. The Minister added that the Committee continues to review and evaluate the cases, in accordance to  procedures.

Additionally, the Cabinet commended the efforts of various government agencies in maintaining public security, safety and by providing services needed for citizens, during the Eid al-Adha holidays.

Following a report submitted by the Minister of Interior, the Cabinet reviewed the efforts to address the fire that occurred in residential buildings and commercial stores in the Manama Souq. 

The Cabinet acknowledged the professional response of the Civil Defense, the Ministry of Interior, and other authorities in handling fire incidents, particularly the blaze at the Manama Souq. 

To mark the upcoming World Drug Day, the Cabinet commended the Ministry of Interior and relevant authorities for their efforts in combating drug use across the Kingdom and for adopting initiatives to raise community awareness of its dangers.

On the occasion of International Day of Women in Diplomacy, the Cabinet commended the wide-ranging achievements of Bahraini women in diplomacy and their contributions to the Kingdom’s extensive diplomatic endeavors.

The Cabinet then agreed to amend the frequency of its meetings during July and August to a biweekly schedule.

The Cabinet then discussed several memorandums during the meeting, approving the following:

1. A memorandum submitted by the Minister of Labour to develop mechanisms to implement the mid-day outdoor work ban in 2024.

2. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on the government’s response to three proposals submitted by the Council of Representatives and a law submitted by the Shura Council.

3. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding an MoU between the Mohamed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Academy for Diplomatic Studies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Bulgarian Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria. 

4. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding three MoUs between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt across various fields.

5. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a cooperation agreement between the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Government of the Republic of Hungary. The agreement included the provision of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship and an MoU between the Ministry of Education of Bahrain and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary for cooperation within the Stipendium Hungaricum programme for 2024-2027. 

6. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding an MoU between the General Sports Authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism in the Republic of Belarus to cooperate in the sports sector.

7. A memorandum submitted by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Education and Training Quality Authority regarding the outcomes of the final national examinations for the ninth and twelfth grades in 2024.

The Cabinet reviewed the following memoranda: 

1. A memorandum submitted by the Minister for Shura and Representatives Councils' Affairs regarding the agenda of the second regular session of the sixth legislative term.

The Cabinet then took note of the following ministerial reports:

1. The official visit of the Minister of Interior to the French Republic

2. Outcomes of participation in the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference

3. Participation in the 3rd High-Level International Conference on International Decade for Action "Water for Sustainable Development"