On August 18, 2026, His Excellency Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International, and Energy Studies (Dirasat), the launch of the first edition of the King Hamad Award for Coexistence and Tolerance, an award launched by the Kingdom of Bahrain as an international initiative in accordance with Royal Decree No. (32) of 2024 establishing the award.

Without delving into the Kingdom of Bahrain’s rich and unique experience in the areas of coexistence and tolerance, the discussion of incorporating these two values into the Kingdom’s foreign policy gains significance because they fall under the concept of “soft power”—a concept that both major and minor states have employed in their foreign policies.

If we examine the three pillars of Bahraini foreign policy, we find that two of them explicitly call for promoting a culture of peace and achieving coexistence among peoples. Furthermore, two of the nine principles of that policy emphasize the promotion of tolerance and coexistence among peoples, reflecting the Kingdom of Bahrain’s conviction regarding the central importance of these two values, both in theory and in practice.

The Kingdom of Bahrain has been committed to translating these principles into its foreign policy; while space does not permit a comprehensive listing of all such efforts, the following may be cited, by way of example:

First: An article by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom—may God protect and preserve him—published in *The Washington Times* in 2017, on tolerance and coexistence, which constituted a noble royal vision in this context, This coincided with the launch of the “Bahrain Declaration” issued on September 13, 2017, whose principles were inspired by the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance, in accordance with Royal Decree No. (15) of 2018 establishing the Center.

Second: During the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, on September 27, 2021, His Excellency Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Foreign Affairs, delivered the Kingdom of Bahrain’s statement, in which he addressed a number of international and regional issues, including peace, tolerance, peaceful coexistence, and the fight against extremism and hatred. As for the explicit call to adopt an international convention criminalizing religious, sectarian, and racist hate speech, it was included in His Excellency’s statement before the 78th session of the General Assembly on September 22, 2023, reflecting the Kingdom’s commitment to promoting coexistence and spreading a culture of peace.

Third: The Kingdom has hosted numerous conferences aimed at stimulating dialogue on tolerance and coexistence, most notably the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence,” in which His Holiness the late Pope Francis and His Eminence the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, participated. The forum was held in the Kingdom of Bahrain from November 3–6, 2022, and at the time constituted a unique and multifaceted event that solidifying the Kingdom of Bahrain’s status as a role model for interfaith tolerance and coexistence.

Anyone who examines the substance of Bahrain’s foreign policy in this area will likely find that it aligns with the approach of His Majesty the King; indeed, promoting a culture of peace, tolerance, coexistence, and interfaith and intercultural dialogue is one of the four priorities of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s work during its non-permanent membership on the Security Council for the 2026–2027 term. Furthermore, the Kingdom announced its participation in the Board of Peace, where His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Minister of the Office of the Prime Minister, participated on behalf of His Majesty the King in signing the Board’s charter during the Davos Forum on January 22, 2026, in the context of supporting peace, cooperation, stability, and development, as well as implementing the peace plan for the Gaza Strip.

These and other efforts have resulted in what could be described as the “globalization” of Bahrain’s efforts in this field, through the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of January 28 of each year as the International Day of Peaceful Coexistence, based on an initiative by the King Hamad Global Center for Coexistence and Tolerance. The Center also launched a joint postgraduate diploma program in coexistence, in partnership with the United Nations University for Peace, a unique initiative aimed at training “ambassadors of knowledge” around the world in this field.

While the global dimensions of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s experience in the areas of tolerance and coexistence are significant, its domestic impact has been recognized far and wide; the Kingdom is annually ranked among the world’s most attractive countries to live in and reside in, in addition to its high rankings in international reports regarding the positive conditions for expatriate workers there.
To begin with, the announcement of the award and the formation of its jury are part of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s strategy and approach to promoting the values of tolerance and coexistence, and its commitment to establishing them as a culture and a fundamental requirement for defusing raging conflicts at the regional and global levels, based on the firm conviction that diversity is part of God Almighty’s design in His creation, and that differences should not be a cause for conflicts that spread hatred and intolerance and squander the resources of many nations, but rather should be a source of their strength and prosperity.

Note: This article has been automatically translated, the full article is available in Arabic.

Dr. Ashraf Mohammed Keshk, Director of International and Strategic Studies Program