HM King orders Hijri New Year disbursements
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a directive for the annual Hijri year, the Royal Court will begin distributing the annual donation through the Sunni and Jaafari Endowments Directorates to charitable societies and Maatams (community centres), as is customary at the beginning of every new Hijri year.
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Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Daily Tribune
HM King orders Hijri New Year disbursements
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued a directive for the annual Hijri year, the Royal Court will begin distributing the annual donation through the Sunni and Jaafari Endowments Directorates to charitable societies and Maatams (community centres), as is customary at the beginning of every new Hijri year.
Gulf Weekly
2 days ago
- Gulf Weekly
Beautifying Bahrain
Meet Bahraini artist Khalil Al Shaikh, who has been embellishing ma'atams ('gathering spaces') across the kingdom for decades. He reminisced the chance beginning of his artistic journey, including his striking tile work typically found at these events, coinciding with Muharram, which begins tomorrow, June 27. Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar. Every year during Muharram, thousands of Bahrainis flock to stunning ma'atams around the country to admire them and their beauty. However, not many stop to think about the hands that put the tiles in place, or about the heart and soul that men and women put into the beautification process. Among those men is veteran carpenter and tile worker, 73-year-old Khalil, whose creations have been admired by many. His portfolios spans Islamic artwork, woodwork, gypsum designs and tile work, which are exhibited at various locations in Bahrain, including Ma'atam Shabab Al Hamala, Ma'atam Mansour Bin Nayem in Muharraq, Ma'atam Al Khoder in Bani Jamra, Ma'atam Alasfoor in Sitra and Ma'atam Al Basri in Bilad Qadeem. He loves making works with the name of Allah on it; perhaps his pièce de résistance, is a glow in the dark piece with Allah's name as a centrepiece. Khalil's tryst with art began during his school days. At 15 years old, he seemed like just your typical student with an interest in handicrafts. One rainy day, his life changed when he took a detour on his way to school. 'My books got really wet because of the downpour,' the Buhair resident said. 'Instead of going to school, I stopped by a carpentry workshop to dry off. 'I just stood there at the entrance of the shop, and the man asked me what I wanted. 'Without thinking, I told him that I wanted to work for him and learn from him. He let me stay for the day. 'I stood there admiring his work, and later, he just handed me the keys to the workshop and told me to open shop in the morning and clean up. 'From there, everything just happened to fall into place.' Khalil spent years honing his craft as a carpenter, eventually finding himself in workshops across the country. Although he loved woodwork, what really ended up capturing his curiosity and passion was working on traditional styles. 'I met a man named Ahmed Al Areifi in the late 70s, and he asked me to help him make indoor décor using gypsum for a shop,' he said. 'I took to it much faster than I did with carpentry, it felt so simple, so flexible and yet so elegant.' Khalil's handicraft gradually gained fame, designing artwork and pieces for the Bahrain National Museum, the Housing and Urban Planning Ministry, and, once he learned tilework, both indoor and outdoor décor for ma'atams. He proudly states his work is '100 per cent Bahraini made'. Even though he is still going strong, Khalil hopes to see a new generation of Bahrainis take up more handiwork. 'I will be more than happy to teach them,' he said. Nobody knows our culture and tradition better than us Bahrainis. 'If you have the love of traditional handicraft and the desire to learn and grow and be creative, then I will take you in and teach you everything I know,' he added.
Daily Tribune
11-06-2025
- Daily Tribune
HM King checks on Bahraini pilgrims' wellbeing
His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa held a telephone call with Shaikh Adnan bin Abdullah Al Qattan, Head of Bahrain's Hajj Mission. HM the King inquired about the wellbeing of Bahraini pilgrims following the completion of their Hajj rituals and commended the efforts of the Bahraini Hajj Mission in providing seamless services and support to ensure the pilgrims could perform their rites with ease and reassurance. He also expressed his sincere appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for the extensive efforts and facilities made available to serve the pilgrims in the holy sites. Shaikh Al Qattan thanked HM King Hamad for his guidance and for his continued support for the comfort and welfare of Bahraini pilgrims. He lauded His Majesty's ongoing support for the mission's work in serving pilgrims from the Kingdom.
