His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), affirmed the Center’s continued implementation of its pioneering programs, research activities, and innovative initiatives as a national think tank that supports the knowledge environment and institutional integration, in line with the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the beloved King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him, and under the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him.
This came during the chairing of His Excellency the Minister at the second meeting of the Board of Trustees of the “Derasat” Center for this year, with the attendance of the esteemed members of the Board.
At the beginning of the meeting, His Excellency the Minister, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of “Derasat”, extended his highest congratulations and blessings to His Majesty the King, may God preserve him, and to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, on the occasion of the upcoming Eid Al-Adha, praying to Almighty God to return it upon the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the entire world with goodness, peace, and prosperity.
The Board of Trustees reviewed the Center’s activities and events during the second quarter of the current year, highlighting its research achievements and intellectual programs in collaboration with research institutions and think tanks, the exchange of official visits with local and international delegations, and the follow-up on the implementation of the “Green Places of Worship” project, in coordination with the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, the Electricity and Water Authority, religious institutions, and other initiatives.
The Board was also briefed on preparations for the 7th Derasat Forum, to be held in partnership with the League of Arab States under the theme: “Arab Research Centers Consortium for Sustainability and Development,” aiming to shape a unified Arab vision for knowledge and expertise exchange and to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The forum also includes following up on the outcomes of the roundtable with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regarding the upcoming Human Development Report 2026, which will focus on “Digital Transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
The Board also discussed the Center’s qualitative contributions to strengthening Gulf–Asian economic relations, commending the outcomes of the official visit of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, may God protect him, to brotherly Malaysia, as well as his active participation in the inaugural summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the second GCC–ASEAN summit.
At the conclusion of the meeting, His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa reaffirmed the Center’s commitment to further entrenching a culture of institutional innovation, and expanding community partnerships and international intellectual alliances, in a manner that enhances its research role as a strategic thought driver and a trusted source for empowering national institutions to perform their roles with efficiency and effectiveness, thus contributing to further growth and prosperity.
