Manama : His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, Cabinet Affairs Ministry’s Undersecretary, Good Word Society Honorary President, has affirmed that HH’s annual Award for Voluntary Work is in line with the sound directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the dedicated patriotic efforts of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to promote the values of volunteerism as one of the basic pillars of the progress and renaissance of societies.
HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali also praised the keenness of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, and His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports First Deputy Chairman, General Sports Authority Chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee President, to enhance youth work in the kingdom, by encouraging youth to develop their field capabilities through engaging in voluntary work, which motivated youngsters to join the voluntary and charitable fields.
His Highness added that the directives and follow-up of His Highness Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Advisor to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, have contributed to supporting the “HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Award for Voluntary Work” since its inception at the local and Arab levels.
HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali also paid tribute to HE Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister, for attending the concluding ceremony of the award, which represents an impetus to double efforts to serve Bahrain and consolidate its status at the regional and global levels in various fields.
His Highness made the statements while addressing the award-distribution ceremony of the 13th edition of the “HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Award for Voluntary Work”, organised by Good word Society in cooperation with the Arab Voluntary Union, to honour Arab voluntary work pioneers.
Jameel bin Mohammed Humaidan, Labour Minister, Hamad bin Faisal Al-Maliki, Cabinet Affairs Minister, Rawan bint Najeeb Tawfiqi, Youth Affairs Minister, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Zubair, Oman Olympic Committee President, officials, prominent personalities and representatives of media outlets also attended the closing ceremony of the award.
In his speech, HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali affirmed that HH’s award has achieved its noble goals through recognising the efforts of volunteers to serve their communities and countries.
His Highness said: “The Kingdom of Bahrain has always been a pioneer in the fields of community service, voluntary work, and noble stances, which has contributed to strengthening its leading position as a civilised country that upholds the values of humanity fraternity and solidarity, and encourages initiatives aimed at achieving peace, security and stability on a global level.”
HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali expressed thanks and appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister and ministers for attending the award-distribution ceremony, paying tribute to the chairman and members of the Good Word Society and the Arab Voluntary Union for the tremendous efforts they are exerting to serve Arab voluntary and humanitarian work. He also praised the sponsors and partners for contributing to the continuous success of the award.
Youth Affairs Minister also addressed the ceremony. She praised the constant support of HM the King and HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for the Bahraini youth. She also commended the role played by HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad and HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad in advancing the youth sector, especially in the field of voluntary work.
She also highlighted the efforts made by HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa to promote voluntary work in Bahrain and across the Arab world, noting that HH’s Award is among the best initiatives aimed at encouraging youth to engage in voluntary work.
During the ceremony, 15 Arab voluntary work pioneers were honoured, including mainly Majed bin Abdullah Al-Hogail. Saudi Minister of Municipality and Rural Affairs and Housing, Dr. Ashraf Sobhy, Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Jarwan. President of the UAE-based Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, Shaikh Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Zubair, Oman Olympic Committee President, Shaikh Adnan bin Abdulla Al-Qattan, Deputy Board of Trustees Chairman of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation, among others.
The “HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Award for Voluntary Work” was also conferred on the Abdulrahman Kanoo Company in recognition of its distinguished social work, through its adoption of many humanitarian and developmental initiatives and programmes that benefited various social segments in the kingdom.
The Bahrain Deaf Society, the Bahrain Trust Foundation and the Isa Town Social Charity Society won the first, second and third places of the “Best Bahraini Voluntary Project” award, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Voluntary Paramedic Academy team, the Dream Big Bahrain and the Sahabat Amal voluntary group won the award in the category of voluntary teams and individuals.
The award sponsors, the Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (GPIC), in addition to the Al-Bilad, Al-Ayam and Al-Watan newspapers, were also honoured.
Hassan Bu Hazza, Board of Directors Chairman of the Good Word Society, Arab Union for Voluntary Work President, expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali for patronising the prestigious award, praising HH’s support for voluntary work in Bahrain and the Arab world.
The honourees expressed their deepest thanks and gratitude to HH Shaikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa for honouring them, affirming that HH’s award is among the most important Arab initiatives that contributed to consolidating Bahrain’s status as a beacon of voluntary work and the first supporter of volunteers.
