Ashraf AboArafe
Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Bahrain Center for Strategic, International and Energy Studies (Derasat), announced the allocation of the center’s seventh annual forum, scheduled to be held next May, to discuss practical steps for activating the recommendation “to establish an intellectual container for research and studies in sustainability.” and Economic Development,” which was issued by the Arab Summit held in the city of Jeddah in the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in May 2023 AD, in a way that enhances intellectual support for the work of the Thirty-Third Arab Summit, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in May 2024 AD.
This came during the signing ceremony of a memorandum of cooperation between the “Derasat” Center and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, regarding organizing the “Derasat” Forum in its seventh edition, under the title “The Complex of Arab Research Centers for Sustainability and Development,” with the aim of activating dialogue and discussion between experts and researchers in the think tanks. Arabic on issues of sustainability and development, and formulating comprehensive development strategies.
The memorandum was signed by both sides, Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the “Derasat” Center, and Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, at the headquarters of the Arab League in Cairo, in the presence of Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States. And Ambassador Fawzia Zainal, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Arab Republic of Egypt and Permanent Representative to the League of Arab States.
During the signing ceremony, Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa confirmed that the center will employ its accumulated expertise and activate its various tools, within the framework of the high royal vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and with the support and patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. The Crown Prince and Prime Minister, pointing out the importance of scientific research contributing to supporting the joint Arab action system, and providing a platform for researchers and specialists to exchange ideas and programs, benefit from experiences, and discuss ways to develop sustainable development strategies.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees explained that the “Arab Research Centers for Sustainability and Development Complex” aims to create opportunities for innovation and progress, as well as enhancing intellectual cooperation and exchanging experiences between research centers, expressing his hope that the forum will contribute to producing realistic and integrated intellectual and cognitive visions, to invest Available opportunities and facing existing challenges.
For his part, Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, praised the importance of the “Derasat” Center’s initiative to allocate the topic of its forum to discussing the establishment of the “Arab Research Centers for Sustainability and Development Complex,” pointing out that this initiative will constitute a participatory platform for Arab research centers.
The signing ceremony was also attended by Ambassador Ahmed Al-Tarifi, Head of the Arab and African Affairs Sector at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On behalf of the “Derasat” Center, Dr. Hamad Ibrahim Al-Abdullah, Executive Director, Dr. Omar Ahmed Al-Obaidly, Director of the Studies and Research Department, and Dr. Ashraf Muhammad Kishk, Director of the Strategic and International Studies Programme.
