WMF honours Shaikha Mai

Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA)'s president Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa was honoured with the 2015 Watch Award on Wednesday in New York City.

Shaikha Mai and Queen Sofia of Spain were honoured at the annual Hadrian Gala, which coincides with the World Monuments Fund (WMF)'s 50th anniversary.

Shaikha Mai is the first Arab personality to win the award  instituted by the WMF, in recognition of the Kingdom's cultural achievements and leading role in preservation of humanitarian and cultural heritage.

She thanked the WMF and said, "I have committed myself to preservation of heritage, culture, and historical civilizations to highlight the strenuous efforts deployed by our ancestors. We have to be proud today of what has been achieved throughout history and we will continue to support the culture."

She honored supporters of the cultural movement and historical preservation in the Kingdom .

Shaikha Mai received the award in recognition for her efforts in preserving world heritage, particularly traditional Bahraini culture and heritage, including the launch of the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Center for Culture and Research.

She also launched the nation-wide ‘Invest in Culture’ initiative, building an unprecedented partnership between the private and public sectors for heritage preservation, leading to the establishment of the Bahrain Fort Site Museum and the Bahrain National Theatre.

Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain received the award, in recognition of her efforts in promoting awareness and understanding of cultural heritage in Spain.

The WMF offers Hadrian Award, since 1988 to honour world leaders who work to save, estimate and increase awareness of the importance of human and architectural heritage around the world.