Leaders congratulated by Information Minister on satellite launch

Manama, Dec. 21 (BNA): Information Affairs Minister, Ali bin Mohammed Al-Romaihi, has extended sincere congratulations to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa on the successful launch of the first joint Bahraini-Emirati satellite, “Light-1”. He stressed that Light-1 adds to the landmark achievements attained by the kingdom thanks to HM the King’s forward-looking visions, which resulted in laying the foundations for a modern and advanced country, based on science. The minister also extended deepest congratulations to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the landmark accomplishment, reflecting HRH’s interest in advancing the kingdom scientifically, and embodying the efforts of the government, under HRH’s leadership, to take advantage of knowledge and modern sciences to enhance sustainable development efforts in the kingdom. Al-Romaih praised the pioneering role played by the National Security Advisor, Royal Guard Commander and Secretary-General of the Supreme Defence Council, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, to support the national youth competencies and motivate them to be creative in various scientific fields so as to be qualified for increasing the kingdom’s successes and accomplishments, under HM the King’s leadership. He affirmed that building of the satellite by Bahraini competencies, from the National Space Science Agency (NSSA), along with their UAE counterparts, is a source of pride, providing evidence of Bahrainis’ ability to overcome challenges, be creative and achieve success stories in the political, economic, social and scientific fields. The minister affirmed that the launch of the satellite marks the beginning of a new phase in the kingdom’s modern history, in which Bahrain becomes fully engaged in the field of satellites, given their growing importance in scientific research, information and communication, as well as the environmental and climatic phenomena, including terrestrial gamma ray flashes (TGRs) resulting from thunderstorms and cumulus clouds, and the effect of their emissions on the human health and aviation. He stressed that the kingdom’s entry into the group of countries with satellites could not have been possible without HM the King’s far-sighted vision and strong belief in the importance of science in serving society and the entire humanity, adding that it is a noble message conveyed by Bahrain to the world, thanks to its rich deep-rooted civilisational heritage, prosperous present and highly dedicated citizens with unlimited ambitions. Al-Romaihi expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to the UAE for its cooperation with Bahrain in the field of space and future sciences, resulting in the launch of the first Bahraini satellite, reflecting the depth of the solid deep-rooted fraternal relations between the two countries and their peoples. He pledged that the Information Affairs Ministry and all its affiliates will do their utmost in order to highlight such a landmark national accomplishment, given the fact that the satellite represents a civilisational quantum leap in the kingdom’s history and is an element that supports Bahrain’s efforts to achieve sustainable development and speed up digital transformation.