Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa received a telephone call from Lebanon's President General Joseph Aoun. The two leaders reviewed the close relations between Bahrain and Lebanon and the deep bonds between their two peoples. They affirmed their shared commitment to continuing to support and enhance bilateral cooperation, mainly in the economic and political fields. His Majesty the King and the Lebanese President also discussed the latest regional and international developments and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest. The Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa received GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi along with the ministers, officials, and heads of delegations participating in the 29th meeting of GCC ministers responsible for municipal affairs hosted by Bahrain as part of its presidency of the 46th session of the GCC Supreme Council, the Bahrain Summit. The Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Wa'el Al Mubarak was present. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla affirmed Bahrain's continued steadfast support under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa for the various tracks of GCC joint action, mainly in the municipal sector. He said that support aims to advance the visions and aspirations of the leaders of the GCC countries and contribute to the development and prosperity of the peoples of the region. He highlighted that the outcomes of municipal work are directly reflected in citizens' daily quality of life, noting that the sector has become a cornerstone in developing infrastructure that attracts investment and supports economic growth. The participants conveyed the greetings of the GCC leaders to His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla in turn conveyed the greetings of His Majesty and His Royal Highness to the GCC leaders. He lauded the pioneering progress achieved in GCC joint municipal work and the significant transformation witnessed by the sector. The Deputy Prime Minister expressed hope that the meeting will result in effective outcomes and decisions that enhance the efficiency of municipal work and support comprehensive development across the GCC countries. He also praised the dedicated efforts of the GCC ministries responsible for municipal affairs as well as the GCC Secretariat General in coordinating and unifying joint efforts. For their part, the officials participating in the meeting affirmed their determination to continue efforts to boost integration in the municipal sector and further develop its outcomes in support of the GCC countries' development visions. The Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa met with the heads of delegations participating in the 10th meeting of GCC ministers responsible for tourism hosted by Bahrain as part of its presidency of the 46th session of the GCC Supreme Council, the Bahrain Summit. The Minister of Tourism, Fatima Es Serrafi, was present. The Deputy Premier affirmed that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, considers security a fundamental pillar for development in all fields. This approach aligns with the stability and prosperity enjoyed by the GCC thanks to the visions of the leaders of the GCC. He pointed out that these foundations based on a solid legacy of shared values among the GCC countries represent a firm basis for launching broader horizons of intra-GCC tourism integration. This is facilitated by the GCC's readiness to address challenges with flexibility and high pro-efficiency. The delegations conveyed the greetings of the leaders of the GCC countries to His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The Deputy Premier in turn extended the greetings of His Majesty and His Royal Highness to the leaders of the GCC countries. He expressed his best wishes to the participants for success in reaching decisions and recommendations that would contribute to the growth of the Gulf tourism sector. The Deputy Premier also noted the importance of the joint initiatives currently underway which will facilitate the movement of tourists and visitors and enhance the competitiveness of the region's countries as tourist destinations, highlighting their cultural heritage and architectural diversity. He also loaded the tireless efforts of the GCC tourism ministries and authorities, as well as the GCC Secretariat in translating shared visions and aspirations into practical action plans and integrated projects that serve the development process. For their part, the heads of delegations expressed their thanks and appreciation to the Deputy Prime Minister for the warm welcome. They affirmed their commitment to advancing cooperation and integration to enhance the competitiveness of the Gulf tourism sector and wished Bahrain continued progress and prosperity. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, participated in a reception hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron on the occasion of the first international space summit. The reception was attended by a number of heads of states and governments, ministers, and international officials participating in the summit, which brought together researchers, astronauts, scientists, companies, government entities, international organizations, and the private sector as part of global efforts to give renewed momentum to international space policies. The Minister of Foreign Affairs conveyed the greetings and best wishes of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister to the French President. He lauded Paris' initiative in hosting this important international summit and wished France and its people continued progress and prosperity. President Macron delivered a speech in which he welcomed the participants in the summit, noting the participation of approximately 90 countries, the signing of more than 50 agreements, and the announcement of investments worth 1 billion euros in a number of French projects related to the space sector. The French President also affirmed his country's commitment and its European partners to boosting European sovereignty in the space sector while remaining open to trusted international partnership with countries in the Gulf, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He further stressed the importance of establishing common international regulatory frameworks to ensure the sustainability of space activities. As part of government efforts to improve and re-engineer services, the Survey and Land Registration Bureau developed a real estate registration fee calculator, which is a new digital service that enables customers to determine the legally prescribed fees for sale transactions based on the rates and regulations set out in the real estate registration law. Bureau President Bassim Al Hamar said the service development is part of the bureau's efforts to support the real estate sector and improve related services by facilitating procedures for individuals and institutions, shortening service completion times, contributing to more efficient real estate transactions, and greater clarity of procedures for beneficiaries. He added that the bureau continues to renew, or rather to review and re-engineer its services in line with beneficiaries' expectations, improving operational efficiency, and enhancing the use of digital solutions to provide easier and more effective services. The Minister of Municipalities, Affairs, and Agriculture, Engineer Wael Mubarak, chaired the 29th meeting of the Committee of GCC Ministers responsible for municipal affairs. The Minister affirmed that Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty the King and with the directives of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, attaches great importance to developing municipal work and enhancing its system. He noted that the meeting reflects the GCC states' commitment to boosting coordination and the exchange of expertise in municipal services, as well as to developing best practices. The Minister added that the rapid developments the world is witnessing require the continued development of the municipal services sector to support the sustainability of cities and improve quality of life. He highlighted the importance of developing legislation and municipal oversight mechanisms, as well as preparing guidelines for successful municipal registration and practices. He affirmed Bahrain's commitment to actively contributing to the process of joint Gulf cooperation through initiatives and projects that align with the objectives of the joint Gulf municipal action plan. The meeting's agenda included a number of priority topics in Gulf municipal cooperation. The participants also approved a number of resolutions and recommendations listed on the agenda. On the sidelines of the meeting, the Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, chair of the current session, and GCC Secretary General Jasim Ludhaivi honored the top five winners of the sixth edition of the GCC Award for Municipal Work for the years 2025-2026. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and Eskan Bank continue their preparations to organize the second edition of the 2026 Innovation Summit in the social housing sector with broad participation from banking and real estate institutions. The two sides have signed platinum sponsorship agreements for the summit with Bahrain Islamic Bank, the National Bank of Bahrain, Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait, Kuwait Finance House Bahrain, Gulf Bank, Diyar Al Muharraq, and Al Salam Bank contributing to the success of the second edition of the summit. The Minister of Housing and Urban Planning and Chairperson of Eskan Bank Board of Directors, Hamad Al Rumaihi, stressed the importance of an effective partnership with the private sector in developing the social housing system. She also noted that the integration of the roles of banking institutions and real estate developers is a key factor in diversifying the financing and real estate options available to citizens and in developing more flexible, efficient, and sustainable solutions. For his part, Eskan Bank General manager Abdullah Talib asserted that the participation of such a large number of banking and real estate institutions as platinum sponsors of the summit reflects the growing level of partnership among the various stakeholders in the housing system. The summit will address a number of topics related to the future of social housing. The accompanying exhibition will also feature financial institutions, real estate developers, and relevant entities showcasing the latest housing projects, financing solution services, and products designed for citizens. The Minister of Tourism, Fatima Al Sairafi, chaired the 10th meeting of the Committee of GCC Ministers responsible for tourism. In her opening remarks, the Minister stressed that Gulf tourism cooperation enjoys the support of the leaders of the GCC states and their commitment to enhancing coordination and integration among GCC member states, supporting parts of development and prosperity, and fulfilling the aspirations of the GCC states and their peoples. Al Sairafi noted that the meeting represents an important milestone for continuing to build on the progress achieved by the GCC states in tourism cooperation, coordinating efforts aimed at enhancing the sector's resilience and ability to adapt to changes, and consolidating the GCC states' position as an integrated and competitive tourism destination regionally and internationally. The meeting discussed the joint Gulf action plan to accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector in the GCC countries. It also reviewed joint tourism promotion efforts, the development of Gulf tourism packages and programs, and strengthening the Gulf's tourism presence in targeted international markets. The meeting further addressed a number of topics supporting Gulf tourism cooperation and integration, including joint marketing campaigns, the exchange of expertise and knowledge in the field of tourism statistics and data and a unified tour guide license, hotel classification guidelines, the selection of the Gulf tourism capital for 2027, as well as areas of international cooperation and joint tourism activities and events. Under the patronage of His Majesty the King, the education ministry and the UNESCO organized in Paris the award ceremony for the 2026 edition of the UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa prize for the use of information and communication technologies in education. The event was held with the participation of education minister Dr. Muhammad bin Mubarak Juma and in the presence of UNESCO director general Dr. Khalid Al Anani. The Minister of Education and the UNESCO director general presented the prize to the two winning projects of the 2026 edition. The Generation AI project submitted by a number of universities in Finland and the Daka Parana project submitted by the education secretariat of the state of Parana in Brazil. In his address to the ceremony, the minister conveyed the greetings of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister and their congratulations to the winners. He noted that this year's prize coincides with the royal order designating this year as the year of Isa Al Kabir in honor of the founder of the modern state and leader of the international renaissance in the history of Bahrain. His Highness the late ruler of Bahrain and its dependencies Isa Al Kabir. The ceremony also featured a film prepared by the Ministry of Education on education in Bahrain and the prize in addition to musical pieces from Bahraini heritage performed by the student orchestra from Bahrain. >> From the French capital Paris, UNESCO celebrated the 2026 edition of the UNESCO King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa prize for the use of information and communication technologies in education under the theme reimagining creativity and critical thinking with artificial intelligence. The prize reflects the importance of aligning goals, efforts, strategies, and coordination between UNESCO and its member states to achieve the best outcomes in digital education. >> And now, ladies and gentlemen, join me in congratulating the co-winners of this year's edition. Generation AI from Finland, developed by the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Helsinki, the University of Oulu, and other stakeholders, an award-winning initiative for AI literacy in education and research, and Hidra Salperana from Brazil, an online AI-powered platform that helps public school students practice and improve their essay writing skills by providing instant automated feedback and grading. Let's give them a great round of applause. >> The awards saw strong international competition with entries from 58 countries before being confirmed on two projects from Finland and Brazil in recognition of their excellence in harnessing digital technologies and artificial intelligence to advance digital education. >> The experience of participating in the jury of the ICT prize UNESCO ICT prize is always a pleasure and the privilege. We are a jury international jury of experts in technology, in research, in policy, and there is always something new to learn. And when we judge the the prizes, it's also a a learning experience for all of us. We deliberate on the very fine points and bring in the international perspectives to um um, making our judgments and to make it as fair as possible, but also as impactful as possible because this is really the the real goal of the prize is to um it um enhance our understanding of how technology can be used in education with the best benefit for the learners and for the teachers. >> This year, what we've done, which in many ways is unprecedented, is the theme. So, the theme for this year was on creativity and critical thinking and it has been so timely because one of the issues that we are confronting, that is a huge challenge, is that our students are losing the ability to think critically. And therefore to claim back the space through an award ceremony like this, I think our timing has been perfect. Because we were then able to showcase examples where people are challenging the offloading of thinking and reclaiming critical thinking in the design of programs. And so, in many ways, I think this makes it very special. It puts the role of the Bahrain government and His Majesty the King's leadership visionary you know, participation in this really at the top of the global agenda of how we are thinking about the issues and certainly from UNESCO how we are demonstrating thought leadership. >> Through this prize, the Kingdom of Bahrain reaffirms its presence and international efforts to shape the future of education through innovation, technology, and artificial intelligence and remains committed to supporting digital transformation in education. >> I first knew about the award many many years ago. It's the most prestigious award in this field and I and I saw that Raspberry Pi got it got it a few years ago and we got excited that that these types of AI literacy projects can can you know uh participate. So so then we thought we we have such a good project, we should apply. So so this was my my first touch with the award. Now it's been it's been really amazing that that the institute to follow this. It's it's been it's been a fantastic journey journey to be here and the ability to to join all these experts here, all these colleagues here, all these policy makers here. It has been really a fantastic turn journey for us. Uh so the project is is about learning about AI, not learning with AI. So so our goal is to is to is to help novice learners, be young or old, to to understand how AI works, how AI affects our lives, where in our lives do we see AI here and there in little dashes and and and affecting how we feel, what we see, you know, and and and really everything in our in our lives. And these are mechanisms that that people really don't know well much about. And and our project is about is about revealing these, making these mechanisms visible and making them tangible so that so that you can you can play with them, you can explore them and you can you can make your own AI AI tools, own own language models, own anything AI. >> We were very happy to be here and and to meet all the people here and it's very big has been very exciting to be here and meet new people and interact with people and discuss with people about the future of education. All of our work is based on interdisciplinary research and we have been also collaborating with hundreds of teachers, pre-service teachers and children to co-develop this kind of research-based pedagogical models and educational technologies for transformative AI education. >> We are deeply honored to receive this prize to be recognized like this by UNESCO and the Kingdom of Bahrain among so many nominations was something we didn't expect and it has made us extremely happy back home in Brazil. We heard about the prize through the social media of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as we saw that the theme was the use of artificial intelligence for learning, we knew Redacao na Ponta would be a strong nomination since it's our program for developing writing working with both students and teachers. Our project helps teachers give better feedback to students making the whole process of assessing and improving the writing faster and much more personalized for each one of them. As I said earlier, we are deeply honored to receive the King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize. This is a country that has committed itself in a very concrete way to digitalization and to building digital culture among its own students. So for us in Brazil being recognized by the Kingdom of Bahrain means a great deal. >> Notably, as it prepares to launch an AI-powered educational platform offering more than 100 educational and administrative services. >> The Minister of Education and Chairman of the Higher Education Council's Board of Trustees, Dr. Muhammad bin Mubarak Juma, presented Batelco Bahrain General Director, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, with the college's institutional accreditation certificates in the presence of the HEC Secretary General, Dr. Diana Al Jahrami. The five-year accreditation was granted by a decision of the HEC's Board of Trustees, reflecting the college's commitment to the academic quality and governance standards adopted in Bahrain. The accreditation certificate was presented during the launch ceremony of the National Higher Education and Scientific Research Strategy 2026-2036, which aims to advance the quality of educational outcomes and student services, boost the role of higher education institutions in aligning their programs with labor market requirements, and support Bahrain's development. Bahrain is set to implement a calorie disclosure system for food and beverages in restaurants, aimed at promoting healthier lifestyles and enhancing public health. The initiative encourages consumers to better understand their food consumption patterns, facilitating informed dietary choices, and promoting nutritional awareness and healthy lifestyles. The representative of His Majesty the King for humanitarian work and youth affairs and chairman of the Supreme Council for youth and sports, His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa has decided, directed rather, the Health Ministry in coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to take the necessary steps to study the implementation of a calorie disclosure system for food served in restaurants. The initiative outlines the establishment of a comprehensive monitoring framework supported by legal and regulatory measures to ensure compliance. Its primary focus is to promote awareness of healthy dietary choices contributing to improved physical and mental well-being among the population. The transformative approach is designed to instill a daily practice prioritizing well-being, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts between individuals and institutions to foster a culture of prevention, ultimately making healthy choices a shared societal responsibility.