HRH Crown Prince chairs weekly Cabinet meeting

Manama, Nov. 11 (BNA): His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting at Gudaibiya Palace. Following the meeting, the Cabinet Secretary-General, HE Dr. Yasser bin Issa Al-Nasser, made the following remarks: HRH the Crown Prince praised the outcomes of HM the King’s visit to the Republic of Egypt, during which bilateral meetings were held with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. HRH the Crown Prince noted that the meetings provided an opportunity to further strengthen ties between Bahrain and Egypt, adding that enhancing Arab solidarity and cooperation would help mitigate regional challenges and advance shared objectives. HRH the Crown Prince then welcomed the delegations participating in the 18th Arab Businessmen and Investors Conference and the Third Global Entrepreneurship and Investment Forum, held under the patronage of HM the King. In this regard, HRH the Crown Prince noted the importance fostering innovation and investment in order to enhance regional development and economic prosperity. Furthermore, His Royal Highness stressed the leading role Arab entrepreneurs play in ensuring that international technological innovations are identified and applied across the region, further improving productivity. HRH the Crown Prince went on to praise the Isa Award for Services to Humanity, highlighting its role in further strengthening humanitarian work globally. A brief was then given by the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa Award for Service to Humanity, HE Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, on the preparations made for the event’s fourth edition, which will be held tomorrow, under the patronage of HM the King. A number of submissions, memorandums and proposed laws were discussed during the meeting. The Cabinet outlined the following outcomes: 1. The Cabinet approved a recommendation, submitted by the Government Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince, to vest the Chairmanship of the Follow-up Committee of the National Renewable Energy Plan and the Chairmanship of the National Energy Efficiency Plan to the President of the Sustainable Energy Authority, and entrust him with representing the Kingdom of Bahrain at the International Renewable Energy Agency. 2. The Cabinet approved a comprehensive plan to develop Tubli Bay and its surrounding areas while preserving its environment. The comprehensive plan, reviewed by the Government Executive Committee, provides solutions to improve water flow through the bay, and the expansion of the canal located south of Ma'ameer to 270 meters instead of the current 30 meters. The plan also includes the establishment of 12 additional canals with a total length of 70 meters, to be constructed at the water crossing below Shaikh Jaber Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah Street (Ma’ameer crossing), which currently consists of only 6 waterways at a total length of 23 meters. The Plan, submitted in a memorandum by HE the Minister of Finance and National Economy, and HE the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, also includes the implementation of a hydrodynamic research study of water movement and quality in Tubli Bay, as well as the implementation of the second phase of the project, which aims to improve water treatment using advanced technologies, and the planting of mangroves. 3. The Cabinet approved an amendment to provisions relating to the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Law, and referred the Draft Law to the Council of Representatives. The Draft Law, submitted by the Deputy Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs, further enhances the BCCI’s role in business and investment. 4. The Cabinet referred the Elegant City development project, to the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects for further study, due to its categorisation as a stalled real estate project, and called on the committee to take the necessary steps in this regard. 5. The Cabinet approved a memorandum, submitted by HE the Minister of Interior, related to cooperation between the Ministry of Interior and Boston State Police Department, particularly in the areas of personnel training and technology exchange. 6. The Cabinet reviewed the provisions and regulations governing the periodic medical inspection processes for the detection of contagious diseases, especially for workers within restaurants, hotels and other enterprises that can have a pronounced and immediate effect on wider public health. The Cabinet referred the issue to the Government Executive Committee, requesting that further studies be conducted through a working group consisting of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, and the Labour Market Regulatory Authority. The Cabinet then reviewed three Ministerial reports. The first, submitted by HE the Minister of Foreign Affairs, regarding his participation in the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, that took place in Bangkok, Thailand, during which the Kingdom of Bahrain signed the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. The second ministerial report, submitted by HE the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, detailed the outcomes of his recent visits to the United Arab Emirates Space Agency and Khalifa University. The third ministerial report, submitted by HE the Minister of Youth and Sports Affairs, outlined the outcomes of the Arab Artificial Intelligence Summit 2019, which took place in Jordan.