His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa patronized the inauguration of the fourth session of the fifth legislative term of the Shura and Representatives Councils.
The inauguration ceremony was held virtually at the Sakhir Palace, in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Upon HM the King’s arrival at the Sakhir Palace, the music band played the national anthem.
HM the King’s Personal Representative, His Highness Shaikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and Royal Court Minister, Shaikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, also attended the ceremony alongside HM the King.
Council of Representatives Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal, Shura Council Chairman Ali bin Abdullah Saleh, Parliament Affairs Minister Ghanem bin Fadhl Al Buainain and the members of the bicameral parliament also attended the ceremony remotely.
Following a recitation of some verses from the Holy Quran, HM the King delivered his address to the parliament. He expressed pleasure at inaugurating the fourth session of the fifth legislative term. “I look forward to a new phase of serious and fruitful work within the blessed renaissance march initiated by the fathers towards the homeland of love, freedom and prosperity,” His Majesty said. He stressed the regular constitutional continuity that aims at consolidating the Bahraini sober traditions characterizing the national experience.
HM the King expressed thanks to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for his diligent and continuous efforts in handling the emergency health crisis, praising the role of Bahrain taskforce in this respect which will be cherished by the nation forever. He cited, in particular, the medical teams who are working at the frontlines and facing the pandemic with vaccination.
HM the King affirmed the kingdom’s robust economic performance despite difficulty of the phase. “We are proceeding steadily and with strong economic performance that leads to satisfaction and optimism for a confident return to the growth paths Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 aspires for,” His Majesty said, pointing out professional dealing with the fast-paced economic changes to boost the kingdom’s competitiveness and economic status.
HM the King called on businessmen to come up with more ideas and initiatives for comprehensive economic development while focusing on the role of small and medium institutions to attain the goals of sustainable growth, particularly in the field of industry and future sciences. He urged to develop the way of tackling environmental challenges and the climate crisis threatening Earth planet to forge out influential international stances to protect the environment from any novel risks.
HM the King commended the government’s effective programmes to achieve fiscal balance and self-sufficiency as a pre-requisite to increase and ensure sustainability of national resources. He praised continuous development of the government’s performance while committing to the latest administrative and technical practices.
HM the King lauded the one-family spirit characterizing the Bahraini community, stressing keenness on continuous development of legislation and work systems, particularly those pertaining to protecting human rights and fostering family and social cohesion. He pointed out, in this regard, the alternative penalties programme which succeeded to achieve its goals as a civilizational national project with comprehensive human aspects.
HM the King affirmed the kingdom unwavering commitment to its diplomatic approach based on the policy of good neighborliness and mutual respect with brotherly and friendly countries. He expressed great concern over the deliberate targeting of the Arabian Gulf territorial waters which threatens regional security and international navigation. He stressed that the recurrent hostile attacks on the commercial ships in the Arabian Gulf and the Arab Sea require more international cooperation to fight terrorism and halt its support and funding.
HM the King commended the blessed GCC march, expressing keenness on achieving the noble GCC goals of rallying ranks and developing common interests. He praised cooperation between the government and the National Assembly to work out effective solutions and review and develop legislation of priority. He also lauded the role of the parliamentary delegations in highlighting the kingdom’s image in regional and international platforms.
HM the King commended the outstanding efforts and sacrifice of Bahrain’s armed forces and security bodies in defending the nation, its achievements and sovereignty. “We express to our military institutions our great pleasure and blessing for their adoption of advanced military industrialisation programmes and the localisation of their operations, in line with what we are witnessing in regional experiences that make us proud to achieve the defence force that supports stability in the region,” His Majesty said.
The Speaker of the Representatives Council expressed thanks and gratitude to HM the King for patronizing the inauguration ceremony of the fourth session of the fifth legislative term, pledging to continue national work in line with the royal directives to promote democracy, freedom and accomplishments. She commended the unflinching support of HM the King to the legislature to perform its legislative and monitoring role according to advanced constitutional bases and through continuous cooperation with the executive branch.
The Representatives Council Speaker lauded the role of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in laying the foundation of a new and advanced approach of collective national work that takes into consideration the potentials of the Bahraini people. She also praised HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s successful leadership of the national efforts to combat the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and weather its repercussions.
The Representatives Council Speaker pledged to continue supporting steps to promote the national identity, preserve hard-won gains, foster respect of the State of law and institutions, promote the role of the youth and support the advancement of Bahraini women. She praised the efforts of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of His Majesty the King and President of the Supreme Council for Women, in the kingdom’s development march.
The Representatives Council Speaker lauded the role and achievements of the Bahraini youth thanks to the royal support and the tireless efforts of Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.