Well-informed of change in presidency of Bahrain Culture and Antiquities Authority: Shaikha Mai

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Former president of the Bahrain Culture and Antiquities Authority (BACA) Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa clarified that she was well-informed in advance of the change in the presidency of the Bahrain Culture and Antiquities Authority and received strong support in preparation for a smooth transition.

On July 21, HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had issued Royal Decree (38) of 2022, appointing Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa as president of BACA.

Meanwhile Shaikha Mai noted that she will continue her contributions, as part of Team Bahrain, by dedicating her efforts as current president to the Shaikh Ibrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research. Her Excellency stressed the transfer of responsibilities is a healthy sign of institutional development in the Kingdom, and should not be misinterpreted, or circulated in any way that undermines national interests.

Shaikha Mai expressed her heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for their unwavering support to the cultural sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Shaikha Mai highlighted that the valuable support was central to the advancement of the cultural sector across all levels, through wide-ranging strategies and initiatives that promoted and preserved Bahrain’s rich and longstanding culture and heritage. 

A leading figure in the Arab culture and art scenes, HE Shaikha Mai has spearheaded national efforts to develop the cultural infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain for heritage conservation and the growth of sustainable tourism.

HE Shaikha Mai is the foremost public expert in the field, holding the unique portfolios of the Ministry for Culture & Information and then the Ministry for Culture. As the founder of the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research and Chair of its Board of Trustees since 2002, she works actively to foster culture and preserve the traditional architecture of Bahrain.

It was to this end that she 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 – key cultural tourism attractions.

In addition, HE Shaikha Mai champions youth capacity-building programmes in the fields of heritage and culture development. She established Taa’ Al Shabab, a Bahraini youth forum for emerging talent in which cultural dialogue is cultivated.

Amongst her myriad achievements have been the 2005 and 2012 inscriptions of the Bahrain Fort and the Pearling: Testimony of an Island Economy as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in addition to the founding of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, a UNESCO Category 2 Centre, established to conserve the MENA region’s cultural and natural heritage.

Today, a role model for culture and heritage enthusiasts, HE Shaikha Mai was the first laureate of the Colbert Prize for Creativity and Heritage in 2010. The mastermind of annual cultural and tourism initiatives such as the Spring of Culture and Bahrain Summer Festival, her efforts have also been recognised by the Arab Thought Foundation, which bestowed upon her the Social Creativity Award.

The recipient of the Légion d’Honneur, the Moroccan Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Grand Officer) and the Order of the Italian Star as well as the First Class Order of Merit from HM King Hamad of Bahrain, she is also renowned as a local historian whose work has been published both in Bahrain and internationally.