His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, today chaired the weekly Cabinet Meeting at Gudaibiya Palace.
In line with ongoing cooperation and coordination with the legislative authority to provide integrated housing solutions and services to Bahraini citizens, HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister directed an allocation of an additional budget for financing solutions and alternative options for those who have applied for housing units in 2004 and prior.
The Cabinet further assigned the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning to announce the details of alternative solutions and options. This follows a review of a memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance.
The Cabinet commended the efforts of the government authorities, led by the Ministry of Interior and the Jaffari Endowments Council, as well as the role of heads of Ma’atams, supervising committees, and volunteers for their cooperation and commitment to ensuring a successful Ashura.
The Cabinet followed up on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s produce stock and its capacity to meet market needs and received assurance on the availability of various commodities. In this regard, the Cabinet directed the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to ensure the sustained availability of commodities to meet market demands.
The Cabinet then expressed its condolences to the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the senior members of the Al Nahyan Royal family, and UAE citizens, following the passing of the Representative of the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, His Highness Sheikh Saeed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, noting that their thoughts and prayers are with them during this time.
In recognition of International Youth Day, the Cabinet noted the role of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, chaired by the Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, in supporting Bahrain’s youth across various areas.
During the meeting, the Cabinet discussed the following memorandums:
1. A memorandum submitted by the Government Executive Committee regarding the Kingdom of Bahrain's population census, which showed that the population of Bahrain reached 1,557,182 people at the end of 2022, 1,524,693 people in mid 2022, and 1,577,059 people in mid 2023.
2. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Social Services regarding labour market indicators for Q2 of 2023. The indicators revealed that 14,163 citizens were employed until the end of Q2 of 2023, representing 71% of the annual priority target included within the Economic Recovery Plan, of employing 20,000 Bahrainis annually until 2024.
The indicators also revealed that 7,237 citizens were trained until the end of Q2 of 2023, representing 72% of the annual priority target included within the Economic Recovery Plan, of training 10,000 Bahrainis annually until 2024. The indicators also showed a 6.3% increase in the average wage of Bahrainis working in the private sector annually.
The Cabinet then approved the following memorandums:
1. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a memorandum of understanding between the Bahrain National Museum and the Zayed National Museum.
2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding the government's response to six proposals and two draft laws submitted by the Council of Representatives.
Finally, the Cabinet noted the following ministerial reports:
1. The report of the Minister of Foreign Affairs on His Majesty the King's Representative for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs and National Security Advisor, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa’s attendance, on behalf of His Majesty the King, at the International Conference on Development and Migration
2. The outcomes of the 18th consultative meeting of the leaders of the GCC and the first Gulf summit with the central Asian countries C5.
3. The outcomes of the third Strategic Dialogue between Bahrain and the United States of America.
4. The external participations of government officials and the visits of foreign delegations to Bahrain.
Source: Bahrain News Agency