H.E. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and H.E. First Lady Fazna Ahmed on Saturday evening concluded their official State Visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain and returned to Malé. The visit was made at the invitation of the King, H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
The President and First Lady arrived on Wednesday, 5 October, 2022, and inspected a guard of honour accorded to them by the Bahrain Defence Force. On Thursday, the President and First Lady were received by H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at Al-Qudaibiya Palace, where the two leaders engaged in bilateral discussions. The President also held talks with H.R.H. Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain on Wednesday.
Four key agreements were signed between the Maldives and Bahrain on Thursday as part of the official State Visit, with the President and King of Bahrain presiding over the ceremony. Prior to the signing ceremony, the President and the King met one-on-one at the Al-Qudaibiya Palace.
During the visit, Cabinet ministers and senior officials from both countries engaged in bilateral discussions. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives, H.E. Abdulla Shahid, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, H.E. Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, held a joint press conference on Thursday evening. A luncheon hosted by H.M. King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in honour of the President, the First Lady and the visiting Maldivian delegation was also held on Thursday afternoon.
President Solih also visited the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) on Thursday and met with H.E. Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company, at the EDB. He later hosted a dinner reception for the President, the First Lady, and the visiting Maldivian delegation. President Solih also met with the senior management of Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) on Friday.
As part of the State Visit, First Lady Fazna Ahmed met with H.R.H. Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, the wife of the King of Bahrain and the President of the Supreme Council for Women. She also met with H.E. Hala Mohammed Jaber Al Ansari, the Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Women of Bahrain. On Friday, the First Lady visited the King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) and the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT). Later in the evening, the President and the First Lady toured the Bahrain National Museum and Beit Al-Quran Facility together.
This is the first time a Maldivian Head of State made a State Visit to Bahrain.
