DERASAT marks tenth anniversary

A ceremony was held yesterday marking the tenth anniversary of the Bahrain Centre for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (DERASAT).  

The event was attended by Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) Commander-in-Chief Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, senior officials and invitees.

DERASAT, a prominent think tank in the Kingdom, was formed with a vision to create a forum for intellectual thought, creative dialogue and high quality analyses.

Royal Court Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa was received on arrival by DERASAT Board of Trustees’ Chairman Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, board members and senior officials.

Shaikh Khalid congratulated DERASAT Board of Trustees’ Chairman Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, board members and senior officials on the tenth anniversary of the think tanks. Addressing the ceremony, Dr Shaikh Abdulla paid tribute to His Majesty who founded the think tank.

He reiterated allegiance to HM the King, paying tribute to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister for supporting the centre. He also expressed deepest thanks to the patron of the ceremony, for his support to complete a book titled “Two Prosperous Decades”, which showcases landmark achievements in the prosperous era of HM the Ministry.

He announced that DERASAT had completed the English version of the book, which will also be translated into other languages, in co-operation with other renowned think tanks. A film documenting DERASAT achievements over the past ten years was also shown, highlighting researches and studies which were conducted in cooperation with national and international institutions. Dr Shaikh Abdulla presented to Shaikh Khalid a copy of the first issue of an illustrated book titled “A Decade of Studies”.

He also presented to Shaikh Khalid a commemorative gift. The minister then honoured DERASAT board members, sponsors and employees, who completed ten years of services. Council of Representatives Speaker Fawziya Zainal stressed the role of DERASAT in the prosperous era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. She hailed the congratulations of the think tank to supporting the democratic process, which was initiated by HM the King, in addition to enriching the political and strategic landscape.

The Speaker congratulated DERASAT Board of Trustees and board members on the tenth anniversary of the national think tank, hailing its fruitful co-operation with the Council of Representatives. She made the statement on the sidelines of the ceremony which was held this evening under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa on the tenth anniversary of DERASAT inception. She commended the ceremony which was held under the theme “From Vision to Reality”, showcasing DERASAT achievements over the past decade during which Bahrain witnessed landmark strides in all fields