His Royal Highness
Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa

His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister, chaired the weekly Cabinet meeting today at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Cabinet affirmed the importance of the discussions held between His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Excellency Sadyr Japarov, President of the Kyrgyz Republic, in strengthening bilateral cooperation and enhancing investment opportunities between the two countries. The Cabinet also highlighted the significance of the agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during the visit, following a report submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the outcomes of the discussions and agreements.

The Cabinet commended the success of the Social Housing Innovation Summit and Exhibition, held in line with the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to accelerate the allocation of 50,000 housing units and enhance public services for Bahraini families. The event was inaugurated, on behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, by His Excellency Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister. The Cabinet highlighted the strong interest shown by citizens in the new housing financing options and the active engagement of the private sector.

The Cabinet expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and Eskan Bank for organising the initiative, aligning with the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to broaden awareness of available financing programmes. This followed a memorandum submitted by the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning.
The Cabinet also commended the national press for its vital contributions to national development, emphasising its role in promoting credibility and integrity.

In celebration of the upcoming Labour Day, the Cabinet expressed its appreciation for the national workforce’s dedication and contributions across all sectors, recognising their critical role in the Kingdom’s continued development and prosperity.

The Cabinet then reviewed and approved several memorandums, including:
1. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft declaration of the Global Media Dialogue at the World Audiovisual and Entertainment Summit.
2. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft memorandum of understanding on the cooperation in infrastructure development between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the developers for infrastructure development for the Hafeera Industrial Zone.
3. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs regarding a draft resolution to issue regulations for student discipline across all public educational levels.
4. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Community Services on labour market indicators for the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the progress of the two annual targets for employment and training. By the end of the first quarter of 2025, 24% of the annual target to employ 25,000 Bahrainis annually and 25% of the annual target to have 8,000 Bahrainis enter the labour market had been achieved. Regarding training, 28% of the annual target to train 15,000 Bahrainis annually had been achieved. These results reflect the agreements reached with the Legislative Authority during the discussion of Bahrain's general budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year, and part of the ongoing implementation of the National Labour Market Plan (2023-2026).
5. A memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on the government’s response to five proposals and one draft law submitted by the Council of Representatives.

The Cabinet then reviewed a memorandum submitted by the Ministerial Committee for Community Services highlighting the major achievements of public hospitals and primary healthcare centers in 2024.

Finally, the Cabinet noted the following ministerial reports:
1. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the third joint ministerial meeting of the strategic dialogue between GCC countries and the Central Asian countries.
2. Outcomes of Bahrain’s participation in the 163rd session of the Council of the League of Arab States at the ministerial level.
3. Outcomes of the official visit mandated by His Majesty the King to the Vatican to participate in the funeral ceremony of His Holiness Pope Francis. The visit was conducted by the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence, the Minister of Justice, Islamic Affairs and Endowments, and the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the French Republic and non-resident to the Vatican State.
4. Outcomes of participation in the 51st session of the Arab Labour Conference.
5. Updates on planned external visits by Bahraini ministers and scheduled visits to Bahrain by foreign ministers in May 2025.