WAHO Assembly praises Bahrain, accepts China's membership

Manama, Feb. 10 (BNA):The General Assembly of the World Arabian Horse Organisation’s (WAHO) accepted the People’s Republic of China’s proposal to be a member in the organisaion, following majority of the members voting yes to the East Asian country’s request. This was the main decision taken on the first day of the General Assembly meetings, which is part of a series of meetings set to take place during the WAHO Conference, being held in Bahrain from February 6-15 under the patronage of HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the follow-up of HH Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, son of HRH the Crown Prince, Chairman of the High Organising Committee. The General Assembly will continue their meetings today, where it’s expected to witness voting on a series of important decisions, as well as the recommendations, of the Official Registration Offices, taken at their meeting last Wednesday on the sideline of the WAHO Conference. China’s Membership Welcomed Mr. Peter Pond, President of WAHO, greatly welcomed the acceptance of China’s proposal to be part of the Organisation, stating that this step will support WAHO’s efforts to extend its reach, especially in East Asia. For his part, China’s representative at the Conference valued the positive voting on his country’s request to join WAHO, showcasing the efforts of his country towards preserving purebred Arabian horses. Promoting Bahrain The second day of the WAHO Conference had a part dedicated to feature the tourism attractions in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with Dr. Ali Fulath, a consultant at Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, played a film showcasing the rich history and culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain since Dilmun era, highlighting the successive civilisations in Bahrain throughout 4000 years. The film also shed light on the political, historical and geographical sectors of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as well as the pearling era. The history of the Kingdom’s Royal Family was also showcased in the movie, where their contributions to build the foundations of modern Bahrain were highlighted. Palestine’s Proposal on WAHO’s Agenda Meanwhile, Mr. Bassam Zakarnah, President of Palestine Equestrian Federation, member of Palestine’s delegation, gave an impassioned speech that was warmly applauded by the members of WAHO. He expressed optimism at Palestine’s proposal to join the Organisation to be accepted by the members of WAHO. He voiced the struggles breeders of Arabian horses in Palestine are facing under the Israeli occupation. But he affirmed Palestinians’ desire to overcome all the challenges they are facing and hold Palestine’s flag high in this field by joining WAHO. Mr. Peter Pond, President of WAHO, responded to the Palestinian delegation’s intervention, supporting their proposal after completing all the required conditions as per the regulations and laws of WAHO. Achievements Showcased The participating countries, during the event, presented official reports on their activities during the past two years, after the last WAHO Conference which was held in Qatar's capital city, Doha. It’s worth noting that the participating countries in the event are: “Bahrain, Algeria, Argentine, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, France, Germany, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Luxemburg, Morocco, Palestine, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, Oman, Swede, Syria, Holland, Turkey, Tunisia, UAE, Britain, Uruguay and USA. BREEF hosts Celebration for Participating Delegations On the sidelines of the Conference, Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Delegation (BREEF) hosted a gala dinner for the participating delegations of 43 countries attending the event. BREEF President, HH Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Deputy Chairman of the Organising Committee, welcomed all the guests in their second country, Bahrain, wishing them a pleasant stay. Furthermore, HH Shaikh Faisal affirmed Bahrain’s keenness to translate the wise leadership’s vision to make the event achieve tremendous success. The event, which was attended by HRH Princess Alia bint Al Hussein, President of Royal Jordanian Equestrian Federation and member of the executive committee of WAHO, featured a show by Bahraini Arabian horses that took part in many top overseas events and recorded honourable accomplishments. It’s worth noting that the event is being covered extensively by top local, regional and international news outlets, who are conducting interviews with members of the participating delegations as well as reporting the activities of the Conference, which is being interpreted in many languages, including Arabic, English, French, Spanish and Chinese, to facilitate the communication process among the participants and ensure messages are being fully understood. The interpretation is undertaken by Berlitz Bahrain, a well-known firm in the field of translation.