His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.
To mark the 56th anniversary of the establishment of the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), the Cabinet commended the accomplishments of the BDF, noting its combat readiness and military capabilities which have been further developed thanks to the unwavering support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Cabinet wished the Kingdom of Bahrain, the BDF, and its personnel further progress and prosperity.
The Cabinet welcomed the return of professional golfing to the Kingdom of Bahrain, highlighting the success of the first edition of the Bahrain Championship, presented by Bapco Energies and hosted under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The competition brought together a lineup of international golfers who are part of the DB World Tour.
In recognition of the forthcoming Bahrain Sports Day, the Cabinet declared that Thursday, 22 February 2024 will be a half working day, allowing ministries, government departments, and public institutions to allow their employees to participate in the annual Sports Day events.
The Cabinet congratulated the winners of the 50th edition of the Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition, noting the Kingdom’s ongoing commitment to initiatives that enhance the contributions of Bahraini artists in consolidating the Kingdom’s position in the fine arts.
The Cabinet discussed several memorandums during the meeting, approving the following:
1. A memorandum submitted by the Minister of Finance and National Economy regarding the preliminary estimates of the Future Generations Reserve for 2023, which reflects the efficiency of the Reserve’s investment policy.
2. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on a draft law ratifying an agreement that encourages and protects investments. The memorandum also included a draft law ratifying an agreement to eliminate double taxation regarding income taxes and preventing tax evasion and avoidance between the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the government of the United Arab Emirates.
3. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on a draft decree naming the administrative authority and the minister responsible for implementing the provisions of laws regarding the protection of copyright and other related rights.
4. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft decision on sanitation and surface water drainage services.
5. A memorandum submitted by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs regarding the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council meeting.
6. A memorandum submitted by the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Education and Training Quality Authority on the Authority’s review framework proposal.
7. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on the government’s response to two proposals and two laws submitted by the Council of Representatives.
The Cabinet then reviewed a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning regarding the third edition of the Housing Finance Exhibition, which is scheduled to be held in February, and the launch of the Bayti Real Estate platform.
In addition, the Cabinet noted the following ministerial reports:
1. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the two extraordinary ministerial-level meetings of the Arab League Council.
2. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the 19th Non-Aligned Movement Summit.
3. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the Group of 77 and China’s Third South Summit.
4. Outcomes of the Minister of Foreign Affairs’ visit to Hungary.
5. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the 37th meeting of the executive committee of the Regional Organisation for the Protection of the Marine Environment.
6. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the Global Gateway Investors Forum for EU-Central Asia Transport Connectivity.
BNA(R)
