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At a 5 February 2008 reception which was held at the Ritz Carlton, Pentagon City Hotel marking the occasion of the 40 th Anniversary of the Bahrain Defense Force. Lt Col Abdulla Al Khalifa Bahrain’s Defense, Military, NAVAL and Air Attaché presented each of the following Society members with a Plaque that Commemorates their tenure as Middle East Force Commander in Bahrain.
Vice Admiral Anthony A. Less, USN (Ret.) ,
President of the American Bahraini Friendship Society since 2007
Vice Admiral Thomas J. Bigley, USN (Ret.)
Past President of the American Bahraini Friendship Society 1993-2007
Rear Admiral Samuel H. Packer, USN (Ret.)
Board Member since 1990
In attendance at the reception was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Michael G. Mullen who addressed the large military and civilian gathering. Admiral Mullen noted the fantastic support Bahrain has provided the Militaries of Free World Nations during these 40 years
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| Quality Of Life In Bahrain Hailed By UN |
June 1, 2008-BAHRAIN has one of the lowest numbers of people living in slum conditions in the Gulf, it has emerged. About two per cent of the urban population reside in "impoverished and overcrowded" areas, according to figures from the UN. Only Kuwait and the UAE match the percentage and the figures rise as high as between 10pc and 20pc in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. Higher numbers of slums are also found in Iraq, Oman, Palestine and Yemen, where more than 50pc of the urban population live in squalid conditions. The statistics were collected by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat) and UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. Manama-based UN Information Centre director for the Gulf, Nejib Friji, said Bahrain has been a regional pioneer in improving the living conditions of its people. He pointed out Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa receiving the UN Habitat Award last year, but urged the country not to become complacent. "The government has done a good job and we are looking forward to additional efforts to ensure sustainable urbanisation is adopted subject to a stronger community," said Mr Friji. The senior official was speaking ahead of a major UN conference, which begins in Bahrain today. Government delegations from Gulf countries, Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq and Yemen will discuss growing economic and social impact of uncontrolled urbanisation.
Bahrain Plans $2Bn Refinery Expansion |
May 27, 2008-Bahrain's plans to add an extra100,000 barrels per day of refining capacity to Bapco plant would cost more than $2 billion, the Oil and Gas Affairs minister said. Bapco has capacity of around 260,000 bpd. The expansion would increase capacity beyond 2016, Dr Mirza said. "The next phase of investment will cost more than $2bn," he said. "Some units at the plant are old and need upgrading." The plan was contingent on obtaining increased crude supplies from Saudi Arabia, he added. A pipeline pumping 220,000 bpd of Saudi oil to Bahrain would need to be expanded, he added. The refinery has five crude distillation units, and would like to revamp them to have just one or two large units, he said. Bapco would also like to build a unit to convert heavy fuel oil into lighter transport fuels, he added.
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BD1BN GREEN LIGHT |
 May 27, 2008- A massive BD1 billion development on land opposite Bahrain Mall was given the green light yesterday. The Up Town project will feature three huge tower blocks, including what will be two of the tallest towers in Bahrain, standing at 75 stories and measuring 260 meters. The third tower will reach 70 stories, while other components of the project include 20 residential mini-towers, a shopping mall and five-star hotel. It is being spearheaded by the Qatari-Saudi company AlThara Investment House and will cover an area of 103,573sqm. The company was given the go-ahead by the Northern Municipal Council yesterday. However, the company first has to agree to terms imposed by community leaders and is due to sign an official document in the coming days. "Daih is a conservative village and has never seen such a huge project before," explained council towns and villages development committee chairman and area councillor Sayed Ahmed Al Alawi. "Neither the governorate nor the country have seen a similar project, so they (villagers) want guarantees that it doesn't flout Islamic and traditional values. "The investor has promised to hire the area's unemployed, carry out development projects for the community and donate to charity, among other things." alaali@gdn.com.bh
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Village Project Will Cost $150M |
May 26, 2008-A MULTI-MILLION dollar housing project in the centre of Manama was launched yesterday to coincide with two upcoming property exhibitions in Bahrain. The $150 million (BD56.7m) Ishbiliya Village will start accepting applications from prospective buyers from Bahrain and the GCC at Property Arabia and Worldwide Property Show, beginning at Bahrain International Exhibition Centre on Wednesday. "This project, in the heart of Manama, is targeted only at Bahraini and GCC nationals, as opposed to other projects which are coming up in the country," promoters Al Enma'a House chief executive officer Dr Manar Hamza told a Press conference at the Gulf Hotel. "The development is to be constructed in Al Qadam area of Bahrain, verlooking Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway, on the way from Seef to Hamad Town," he said. "The village, in a prime location within Bahrain, will be accessible from all sides." Dr Hamza said it would feature 300 villas and 500 apartments of varying sizes as well as several commercial and leisure facilities. "The idea is to provide 176,000sqm of affordable, quality housing within a fully master-planned community," he said. Several types of property will be available, including single detached two-storey villas available in three distinct styles, added Dr Hamza. "There are four-bedroom villas, two-storey villas and individual houses," he said.At the centre of the development will be a community centre that would cater to residents' spiritual, social and leisure needs. "A boutique mall with 14 outlets, including a library, health club, sports facilities, a nursery and kindergarten, a coffee shop, supermarket and a landmark mosque with praying areas for 350 men and 80 women is also part of the development," said Dr Hamza. The project is being financed by Kuwait Finance House and developed by Al Enma'a House. Al Dhahrani Contractors will execute the project, designed by Gulf House Engineering. Dr Hamza said the housing project was being designed in line with Bahraini customs and traditions. "The elements of the project focus on encouraging the residents to make social relationships among themselves in a beautiful atmosphere that it will create," he said. Dr Hamza said latest specifications and international building standards had been adopted in designing the villas and apartments and commercial facilities. Company senior manager for construction and projects Saleem Elias Engineer was present at the Press conference.
| Global Peace List Honours Bahrain |
May 21, 2008-BAHRAIN ranked 74th worldwide and 10th in the region in the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2008, it emerged yesterday. The Index, which ranks 140 countries according to their peacefulness, was compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit. It used a range of 24 indicators measuring internal and external peacefulness of nations. According to the report, Bahrain has moved down eight places compared with the inaugural GPI last year. In the Middle East region, Bahrain ranks 10th ahead of Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Lebanon among others. In the GCC, it ranked fifth, ahead of Saudi Arabia. Worldwide, Iceland tops the ranking of the world's most peaceful while Angola, Indonesia and India are among the countries which moved up. "Most countries in the world are performing better against key measures of peacefulness compared with last year, according to the figures," says the report. It says policymakers should focus more on education, wealth and well functioning government to secure a greater peace dividend. "There should also be the crucial role of business in forging stability," said the report. Countries in Scandinavia have also emerged as among the most peaceful, with Denmark stood second and Norway third. New Zealand (4) and Japan (5) - the only member of the G8 in the top 10 - complete the highest ranked. GPI founder Steve Killelea said the world appears to be a marginally more peaceful place this year. "This is encouraging, but it takes small steps by individual countries for the world to make greater strides on the road to peace," he said. Small, stable and democratic countries are the most peaceful, said Mr Killelea, adding that 16 of the top 20 are western or central European democracies.
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What The New Causeway Will Look Like |
 May 8, 2008- A computer-generated image released by the French construction company Vinci SA shows the planned Bahrain-Qatar causeway. Paris-based Vinci Construction Grand Projects, the leader of a consortium of construction companies, and Middle East Dredging Company, have signed a $3 billion contract with the Qatar-Bahrain Causeway Foundation to build the 40km, dual-lane Friendship Bridge. The motorway will run over 18km of embankments where the sea is shallow and 22km of viaducts and bridges over deep water, including two 400m cable-stayed bridges over shipping channels. At present, the journey by road between Bahrain and Qatar takes five hours; with the causeway, it will only take about 30 minutes.
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