Speaker calls for joint digital parliamentary platform at Marrakech Forum
Marrakesh, May 23 (BNA): Ahmed bin Salman Al Musallam, Speaker of the Council of Representatives and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Division, participated in the Marrakech Economic Parliamentary Forum for the Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf region, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean in the Kingdom of Morocco.
Members of Parliament Mohammed Moosa, Abdulhakim Al Shino, Hanan Fardan, and Basma Mubarak, as well as Mohammed Al Sisi Al Buainain, Secretary General of the Council of Representatives and Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Division, and Kareema Al Abbasi, Secretary General of the Shura Council, were present.
During his address, the Speaker proposed the launch of a joint digital parliamentary platform linking Euro-Mediterranean and Gulf countries. The initiative aims to facilitate the exchange of legislative expertise, develop cooperation, and enhance cross border investment and trade.
He highlighted Bahrain’s integrated strategy, under the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the support of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He noted that Bahrain’s vision prioritises human capital and economic diversification, which has strengthened its global connectivity rankings.
The Speaker emphasised Bahrain’s rapid digital transformation and its increasing use of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence across government, legislative, and judicial institutions. These developments, he said, are part of a clear national vision positioning Bahrain as a regional hub for technology and digital entrepreneurship, supported by public-private partnerships.
He noted Bahrain’s global ranking as first in domestic merger and acquisition activity as a share of GDP and second in the Middle East and North Africa for trade connectivity. These achievements reflect progress in infrastructure development, digital transformation, and modern legislative reforms supporting entrepreneurship and economic diversification.
Al Musallam said the world is experiencing accelerated economic and technological shifts affecting trade patterns, energy demand, and the labour market due to the rise of artificial intelligence. In light of these developments, he emphasised the importance of parliamentary cooperation to promote integrated economic policies and build a legislative environment that supports sustainable growth.
He also underscored Bahrain’s commitment to multilateral climate efforts, noting its national strategies to achieve net zero emissions by 2060 in line with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement. Bahrain has adopted initiatives to expand afforestation, double renewable energy targets, and reduce emissions by 30% by 2035, aiming to achieve environmental and economic sustainability.
Al Musallam emphasised that sustainable development must be accompanied by a culture of human dignity, peace, and tolerance, values which Bahrain adopts as a strategic choice to ensure a stable and prosperous future for coming generations. He said this vision is anchored in dialogue, openness, and international cooperation in support of just and lasting peace.
Concluding his speech, the Speaker stressed the need to keep the Palestinian cause a global priority. He called for a firm international stance to end the ongoing Israeli aggression in Gaza, ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid, and uphold the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including the establishment of an independent state along the June 4, 1967 borders, in accordance with the two state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and relevant international resolutions.
