UN-Habitat's Regional and GCC Representatives Strengthen Ongoing Partnerships During Visit to Bahrain

A delegation from the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) visited the Kingdom of Bahrain on January 22-23, 2025, to bolster cooperation with national partners, including government and private stakeholders, and to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

The delegation was compounded of Regional Representative for Arab States, Ms. Rania Hedeya, and Dr. Ayman El-Hefnawi, who serves as both the UN-Habitat Representative in the Gulf Cooperation Council and the newly appointed Interim Head of the UN-Habitat Bahrain Country Programme. 

Ms. Rania Hedeya and Dr. Ayman El-Hefnawi met H.E. Ms. Amna bint Ahmed Al-Rumaihi, Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, to highlight strategic collaborations aimed at advancing regional housing strategies, and urban regeneration efforts, while reinforcing the longstanding partnership with the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA).

They met with H.E. Dr. Mohamed bin Mubarak Bin Daina, Minister of Oil and Environment, Special Envoy for Climate Affairs and CEO of the Supreme Council for Environment, recognizing the critical intersection between urbanization and environment in Bahrain. 

The delegation met H.E. Eng. Shaikh Mohammed Al Khalifa, Undersecretary of Municipalities Affairs at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, acknowledging the success of 'Buthoor Al Bahrain' awareness campaign. This initiative, part of the ongoing “Greener and Healthier Cities in Bahrain” project, a collaborative effort by the Ministry, UN-Habitat and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which was concluded in December 2024.

“Our continued collaboration with Bahrain reflects our shared commitment to sustainable development and underscores the importance of regional partnerships in achieving the SDGs. Looking forward, we aim to expand our initiatives, bringing innovative solutions to further our work in Bahrain,” said Dr. El-Hefnawi. 

Other notable meetings included discussions H.E. Ms. Fatema Abdullah Al Dhaen, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications; Mr. Hatem Abdulhameed Hatem, Chief of Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Feras Ameen, Deputy CEO of UPDA, and Mr. Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, President of the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA).