Bahrain awards three Kuwaiti dignitaries top charity prize

‘Charity work, serving the society are among the basics of Islam’

MANAMA, Sept 27, (KUNA): The Bahrain Parents’ Care Society on Tuesday honored three Kuwaiti leading figures with the Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al-Khalifa Prize for Charity Work 2017, themed “Loyalty to Givers,” in recognition of their philanthropic efforts.

The three major figures are Chairman of Kuwait’s International Islamic Charitable Organization (IICO) and Amiri Diwan Advisor Dr Abdullah Al-Maatouq (also a UN Special Envoy for Humanitarian Affairs), Abdulrahman Al-Faresi, and General Director of the Elderly Care Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Amani Al-Tabtabai. The Prize was launched in 2008. Charity work and serving the society are among the basics of Islam, Bahrain Parents’ Care Society Honorary Chairman and Southern Governor Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali AlKhalifa told the event.

He stressed keenness on disseminating awareness on caring for the parents, and the elderly, lauding the immense support by Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, aiming to instill values of mercy and compassion in the society.

Honoring the Kuwaiti figures mirrors Kuwait’s status as a world’s “Humanitarian Center” whose foundations were laid down by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the “Humanitarian Leader,” Dean of Diplomatic Corps, Kuwait’s Ambassador to Bahrain, Sheikh Azzam Mubarak Al-Sabah told KUNA.

For his part, Al-Maatouq commended Bahrain’s keenness on disseminating the culture of humanitarian work, and encouraging youth to get involved in charity and voluntary activities.

He said that participation in the event, organized by the Bahrain Parents’ Care Society, is part of his support to charity activities and philanthropic partnership between the Kuwaiti and Bahraini societies, as well as promoting cooperation among the Gulf humanitarian organizations, he told KUNA.

Al-Maatouq highly appreciated Sheikh Khalifa bin Ali Al-Khalifa for his limitless support to the award, whose fourth version coincided with the Arab and the International Day for Older Persons.

The prize backing to fields of charity work concerned about the elderly, is likely to help produce model examples, in addition to embodying the genuine, deep-rooted Arab and Islamic values, he said.

Al-Maatouq also highlighted the key role by the Bahraini society for bolstering charity work, and encouraging relevant researches and studies.