Samaher Saif Al-Yazal
The Bahrain Society of Engineers celebrated the evening of October 15, the Bahraini Engineer’s Day, in an event under the slogan “With our Bahraini identity… we build the cities of the future,” in the presence of the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture, guest of honor Wael Al-Mubarak, and the Society’s President, Dr. Raeda Al-Alawi, and a number of ministers, senior officials and members of the association. The Society announced the granting of the “Lifetime Achievement in Engineering” Award in its second edition to one of the Society’s founders and its first president, Dr. Abdul Latif Kanoo, in recognition of his professional career and contributions to the development of the engineering and housing sector in the Kingdom, including his design of one of the most prominent national landmarks, “House of the Qur’an.”
The President of the Bahrain Society of Engineers, Dr. Raeda Al-Alawi said that this celebration, which was launched by the association since 2014, represents a national platform to appreciate the contributions of Bahraini engineers in supporting the wheel of development and promoting the urban and economic renaissance in the Kingdom, under the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and under the guidance and follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
Al-Alawi said: “Bahraini Engineer’s Day is not just a celebration, but rather a call to future generations to make engineering, science and technology their path to building their nation and creating its bright future. The demand for the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is the choice of the ambitious, and the sure way to build a prosperous nation.” She added: “The slogan of this year’s celebration embodies our vision that engineering progress in our Kingdom is inseparable from its values and identity.” Authentic, future cities are built with a conscious engineering vision that balances authenticity and development, and this construction flourishes with the generosity of Bahraini engineers who make creativity a message and belonging a motivation for construction.”
In his speech, the Minister of Municipalities praised the Bahraini engineers and said: “The Bahraini engineer has proven his competence and merit in various specializations, and contributed to the success of major national projects. He was an essential partner in shaping the features of the cultural and economic future of the Kingdom. Today, your achievements are evident in its streets, bridges, buildings and parks, and you are the ones who planned, built and turned the dream into reality.” He said, over the past decades, the Kingdom has witnessed notable engineering achievements, including infrastructure projects, roads, housing, water, and sustainable urban development, all the way to smart agricultural projects, all of which constituted a bright sign in the process of sustainable development that we are living in today. Al-Mubarak added that the slogan of this year’s Bahraini Engineer’s Day truly embodies the established national trends in combining the authenticity of Bahraini identity with the requirements of modern development. Cities today are built on the foundations of identity and belonging in a way that meets the needs of citizens and residents, and keeps pace with the aspirations of future generations. He explained that, based on the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture’s belief in the importance of national cadres in achieving its development vision, the Ministry is keen for its projects and plans to be a reflection of the authentic Bahraini identity, through expanding green spaces, implementing the national afforestation plan, developing public parks, and strengthening municipal legislation to achieve sustainable development.
He said: The Ministry is proud of the presence of national engineering competencies among its cadres, of whom males constitute 57% and females 43%, which reflects the prominent and distinguished presence of Bahraini female engineers, many of whom hold executive positions, while young people under 35 years of age represent about 31% of the total number of engineers who play a pivotal role in development, urban planning and landscaping projects.
He stressed that the Ministry pays great attention to developing and qualifying these engineering cadres through specialized training and development programs, based on its conviction that investing in the human element is the basis for achieving sustainable development goals, and that these engineers are the foundation on which we rely in implementing the Ministry’s future projects with all efficiency and distinction.
The celebration witnessed the honoring of the winners of the Bahrain Society of Engineers Award in its sixth edition, where Reem Al Otaibi from the Gulf Petrochemical Industry Company (GPIC) won the Distinguished Engineer Award in the Experienced Engineer category, while Amina Al Obaidli from the Urban Planning and Development Authority won the Young Engineer Award, in addition to honoring the winners in the Best Graduation Project category in Architectural, Chemical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In addition to appreciating the efforts of the jury and the chairman and members of the annual award committee.
Al-Alawi stressed that the association seeks through this celebration to strengthen the partnership with state institutions and the private sector to support national engineering projects and develop the engineering skills of young men and women engineers, pointing out that the association played a pivotal role in holding conferences, seminars and specialized workshops, and providing technical consultations that contributed to enhancing national development, reflecting its role as a pioneering engineering umbrella at the local and regional levels.
