Al-Ahram Cultural Festival kicks off at UoB

Manama, Oct. 9 (BNA): Under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Al-Ahram Cultural Festival, kicked off at the University of Bahrain (UoB) today. The three-day cultural event is organised by Egypt’s Al-Ahram Establishment in cooperation with the Ministry of Information Affairs under the theme "Egypt and Bahrain ...Two civilisations and One Common Destiny".  The national anthems of Bahrain and Egypt were played, and then the Information Affairs Minister, Ali bin Mohammed Al-Romaihi, delivered a speech in which he said that the brotherly media and cultural festival reflects the depth of the long-standing ties between Bahrain and Egypt, and the progress they are witnessing under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The minister expressed thanks and appreciation to Egypt for its firm honourable political and media stances in support of Bahrain, as well as for its historical commitment to championing the just Arab and Islamic rights and issues and continuous sacrifices for the sake of the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the whole region, being an integral part of its national security. Al-Romaihi stressed that the initiative of the Al-Ahram Establishment to organsie the festival proves anew the value of the Egyptian Media and its historical pivotal role in supporting Arab renaissance, scientific research and intellectual, cultural and civilisational enlightenment, as well as its authentic pan-Arab stances through keenness to strengthen joint Arab action and promote the values of tolerance and moderation.  The minister expressed confidence that the media and cultural forum, bringing together prominent Arab competencies and experts, will come up with constructive ideas and proposals that support efforts to enhance joint Arab action. Al-Ahram Establishment’s Director-General, Al-Ahram Festival’s Chairman and the festival’s Coordinator-General, also delivered statements. A video showcasing Al-Ahram Group’s history was screened, and a number of media personalities were honoured. The festival also featured a book fair, a fine art exhibition and an archival microfilm exhibition, highlighting Al-Ahram newspaper’s articles on Bahrain.