MUST-READS

• Saudi PIF, Bahrain’s Mumtalakat to boost cooperation, investment

  The sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost cooperation and investment in strategic sectors, Saudi state TV reported. Saudi Arabia's PIF said the MoU will enhance its investment opportunities in Bahrain and will provide others for the private sector in the two countries, Tuesday's TV report added.

• Ancient Hajj routes protection planned by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Iraq

  Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Iraq are developing a plan to protect Hajj routes that have been used over the centuries by pilgrims in the Arabian Peninsula. The initiative is being developed by the Kingdom’s Heritage Commission, the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage in Bahrain, and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage in Iraq, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday. The plan was mooted at a recent workshop and encompasses the famous Zubaydah route from Iraq to Makkah.

• Secretary Blinken’s Travel to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt

  Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt October 11-15, 2023, where he will meet with senior officials.  The Secretary will reiterate his condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Israel in the strongest terms.  The Secretary will also reaffirm the United States’ solidarity with the government and people of Israel.  The Secretary will engage regional partners on efforts to help prevent the conflict from spreading, secure the immediate and safe release of hostages, and identify mechanisms for the protection of civilians.

• Bahrain Sets the Pace for Enhanced Gulf Security Cooperation With the United States

  The Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement, signed September 13 by Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa and Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department, formalizes and tightens security cooperation between Bahrain and the United States. While C-SIPA carefully does not include any NATO Article 5-type mutual defense guarantees, it approaches the water’s edge of such commitments, reinforced by senior administration officials making clear on background that the pact is a legally binding agreement that will be notified to Congress. Such notification is a formal step that nonetheless does not require ratification to enter into force, since the agreement “does not cross the threshold of a treaty.”

• Saudi-Israeli Peace Deal Appears Likely, Bahrain Official Says

  A peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel is “probably not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” said Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, Bahrain’s ambassador to the US. “It seems like the moral compass is pointing towards peace,” he said at the American Energy Security Summit in Oklahoma City on Monday.

• Bahrain says two soldiers killed in Houthi drone attack on Saudi border

  Two Bahraini servicemen were killed and several others wounded on Monday in a Houthi drone attack against forces of the Saudi-led coalition in Saudi Arabia near the border with Yemen, Bahrain's state news agency BNA said. The Saudi-led military alliance condemned the attack and said it followed other hostile actions by the group, including an attack on a power distribution unit and a police station near the border, said a statement from coalition spokesperson General Turki al-Malki.

• AI Offers a New Path for Personalized Education in Bahrain

  Bahrain’s educational sector currently faces the challenge of a shortage of specialists in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; technology could offer opportunities to address this challenge. Large language models, a branch of AI, have the capability to deliver personalized learning, cater to individual student requirements, and ensure that students stay on track with global STEM progress. Adopting such innovations could not only bridge the existing gap but also lay the foundation for a more technologically harmonized and effective educational framework in Bahrain.

• Bahrain FinTech Bay enters partnership with The Family Office

  Bahrain FinTech Bay (BFB), a FinTech ecosystem builder, and The Family Office, a wealth management company in the GCC, have announced a strategic partnership that aims to at revolutionise the landscape of wealth management in the region. Under this partnership, BFB will leverage its extensive expertise in digital innovation to collaborate closely with The Family Office to enhance its existing digital products. Additionally, BFB will explore the development of innovative digital investment solutions aligned with market trends, utilising The Family Office’s FinTech lab as a collaborative hub.

• US, Bahrain sign strategic security and economic agreement

  The United States and Bahrain on Wednesday signed a strategic security and economic agreement which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said would expand defense and intelligence collaboration between the two countries. The agreement was signed at a meeting at the State Department between Blinken and Bahrain's crown prince and prime minister, Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa. "At the heart of the agreement is a shared goal: working together to build a region that is more secure, more prosperous, and that's more connected to the world economy," Blinken said to reporters just before the signing ceremony.

• At least 500 Bahraini prisoners on hunger strike over conditions

  At least 500 Bahraini prisoners on hunger strike over conditions Detainees at Jau prison that mainly houses prisoners of conscience began refusing food on 7 August Ruth Michaelson Sat 19 Aug 2023 04.42 EDT At least 500 prisoners are on hunger strike inside a Bahraini prison primarily used to detain prisoners of conscience, refusing food in protest at their detention conditions. Detainees began refusing food on 7 August, and increasing numbers have joined since.

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