HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister chairs weekly Cabinet Meeting
His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.
The Cabinet noted His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander’s inauguration of the Royal Guard headquarters, marking the 54th anniversary of Bahrain Defence Force (BDF).
The Cabinet congratulated His Majesty and members of the BDF and the Royal Guard on this occasion and commended the address given by His Majesty during the ceremony, which noted the continual progress and prosperity of the BDF, which has led to the BDF becoming a peacekeeping force in the region, and a force for national prosperity and growth.
The Cabinet highlighted the importance of the seventh edition of the International Maritime Exercise, 22 (IMX / CE 22), part of which was witnessed by His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister.
The Cabinet commended the role of such exercises in promoting international joint action when confronting the challenges that limit freedom of navigation, and to maintain the free flow of maritime trade across the region and the world.
The Cabinet expressed its gratitude to the BDF, the US Naval Forces Central Command, the US Fifth Fleet, The Combined Maritime Forces as well as all allies and participating countries of this important joint international maritime exercise.
After reviewing a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Interior, the Cabinet announced the launch of the Golden Residency Visa, part of a series of economic initiatives within the Economic Recovery Plan.
The visa will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of the Kingdom of Bahrain, supporting development paths across various economic, investment and service sectors, attracting talent and opening the opportunity to obtain and benefit from permanent residency in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Cabinet welcomed Bahrain International Airport’s attainment of a five-star rating from the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. The rating is based on the quality of services related to departures, arrivals, and transit flights, which include airport facilities, customer services, security, passports, stores, and service facilities. In this regard, the Cabinet congratulated the Ministry of Transportation and Communications and the Bahrain Airport Company for this achievement.
The Cabinet discussed a number of memorandums during the meeting with the following outcomes:
The approval of the following memorandums:
1. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding an MoU between the Ministry of Interior and the Denver Police Department in the United States of America. The MoU aims to enhance bilateral security cooperation and exchange information, expertise and training in the field of community policing.
The Cabinet reviewed the following topics:
1. A memorandum by the Minister of Interior on the population census of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the year 2021, which revealed that the population of Bahrain reached an approximate 1,504,365 people by mid-2021.
2. A memorandum by the Minister of Finance and National Economy on key economic indicators for the year 2021, revealed an improvement in the performance of most of the economic indicators compared to 2020, while some indicators exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
3. A memorandum by the Minister of Labour and Social Development, following efforts being done since January, in regards to the amendment of social insurance payments and financial support for low-income individuals. This is in accordance with the amendment to the Social Insurance Law and Cabinet’s decision, following an agreement with the Legislative Authority.
The Cabinet then took note of Ministerial reports from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding the outcomes of the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey.
