HM the King hails Muharraq deep-rooted heritage

Manama, May 2 (BNA): Bahrain will remain united, proud of its civilization legacy, resolved more than ever to continue building bridges of amity and cooperation with all countries in the world, said His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa He commended the people of Bahrain for their tremendous dedication to serve the homeland, protect hard-won gains and preserve the values of tolerance, co-existence and closely-knit family spirit which have long marked the country. He hailed Muharraq’s deep-rooted history, hailing its people’s patriotism, dedication and contribution to Bahrain’s educational, cultural, scientific, social and trade development. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa made the statement as he received, today, at Al-Safriya Palace, a number of dignitaries from the Governorate of Muharraq. HM the King congratulated the delegation on the reconstruction of the old neighbourhoods of ancient Muharraq. The delegation paid tribute to HM the King, hailing royal keenness on promoting the governorate of Muharraq and its people and reaching out to all citizens. HM the King’s Advisor for Youth and Sports Affairs Saleh bin Isa bin Hindi and the attendees were honored to present to HM the King a traditional boat, which was used in diving and pearling in Bahrain. The iconic boat is the work of both Abdulaziz Shaheen and Jamal Shaheen, who hail from the Khalfan family in Muharraq. The two boat builders ranked first in the contest which were held in the Arabia Gulf region. It took them a whole year to build the pearling boat, using the teakwood. HM the King was briefed by the "noukhada", that is boat captain, Jamal Shaheen, on the multi-phased building of boat. HHM the King expressed thanks, appreciating the valuable gift which reflects the keenness of the people of Muharraq on conserving their heritage and traditional professions and reviving the legacy of fathers and forefathers. He expressed support to all efforts aimed to inform young generates about the sacrifices and dedicated work of their fathers and forefathers, who long toiled to provide decent living, exercising long-standing professions which included diving and pearling. Bin Hindi delivered a speech, reiterating allegiance to HM the King hailing his dedication in serving the nation and building Bahrain’s prosperous future, being the architect of development and progress. He congratulated HM the King on the landmark performance of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who won the Iron Man North American Championship - under 49 age category, concluded recently in Texas, USA. He also offered to HM the King the traditional "bashtakhta", which was used in the past to keep the harvested pearls.