The Rotary Club of Salmaniya recently celebrated its 53rd anniversary, marking more than five decades of committed service and contributions to the community in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event was honored by the presence of Her Excellency Ms. Sahar bint Rashed Almannai, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, who represented His Excellency Mr. Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al Asfoor, the Minister of Social Development for the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The celebration was attended by numerous distinguished guests, including ambassadors, district officials, and government representatives. Khalid AlQoud, President of the Rotary Club of Salmaniya, opened the event by welcoming the honored guests and members of the Rotary Club of Salmaniya, RCSB, RCM, and Rotaracts of Bahrain and Muharraq.

In his opening remarks, Mr. AlQoud emphasized the club’s long-standing commitment to community service. “For 53 years, our club has shown unwavering dedication to serving and contributing to the community of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This sustained commitment has been made possible through the exceptional efforts and genuine dedication of our members, who strive to serve not only our nation but also extend their reach globally,” he stated.

A highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Distinguished Leader Award to His Excellency Mr. Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al Asfoor, accepted on his behalf by Her Excellency Ms. Sahar bint Rashed Almannai. This award recognized His Excellency’s outstanding leadership and dedication to the development and welfare of the Bahraini community.

The event also included a panel discussion featuring two esteemed speakers: His Excellency Mr. Abdulnabi AlShoala, an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Salmaniya, founder, and adviser to the board of AlFanar Investment Holding, and His Excellency Dr. Dhafer Alumran, a distinguished club member.

In addition to the panel discussion, several special awards were presented to honor exceptional individuals for their contributions to the Rotary Club of Salmaniya:

• The Distinguished Leader Award was presented to His Excellency Mr. Osama bin Ahmed Khalaf Al Asfoor, Minister of Social Development for the Kingdom of Bahrain.
• The Honorary Membership Award was given to PP/PHF Mohamed Salahuddin for his remarkable achievements and dedicated leadership.
• The Rotarian of the Year Award was awarded to Luai Al Agha for his outstanding commitment and dedication to community development over the past year.
• Special Recognition was given to Mr. Abdulrahim AlSayed, General Manager of the Golden Tulip Hotel in Bahrain, for his continuous support of the Rotary Club of Salmaniya over the years.

The evening concluded with expressions of gratitude to all supporters and participants, reinforcing the Rotary Club of Salmaniya’s dedication to its mission of service above self, inspiring others, and making a lasting impact on the community and beyond.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya invited media members to celebrate World Press Freedom Day on Wednesday 3rd of May 2023 at the Golden Tulip Hotel. The club awarded the media representatives a trophy as a token of appreciation.

President Hasan AlMansoor praised the media for continually supporting the club by spreading awareness of the good work the Rotary does in Bahrain. The media representatives were from Alayam newspaper, Albillad newspaper, Bahrain This Week, Bahrain This Month, Gulf Daily News, and the Daily Tribune. AlBillad and the Daily Tribune both filmed an interview with President Hasan Almansoor.

The Rotary Clubs of Salmaniya, Manama, Adliya, Seef Bahrain, Rotaract Club of Bahrain and the Rotary Satellite Club of Manama Youth jointly organized a Gergaoon event at Nakheel Centre in Saar. Gergaoon is celebrated on the 14th night of the Holy Month of Ramadan, it’s a special time where children enjoy treats and receive gifts in a festival, mainly celebrated in the Gulf Arab countries. The Rotary clubs invited beneficiaries from five charity societies to participate in the activities: Bahrain Paralympic Committee, Dreams Society, Al Kawther Society for Social Care, Janusan Charity Society, and Tree of Life Society all attended the event.

The participants enjoyed traditional activities such as henna painting and a frasah (traditional horse) and the MC Ali Yaseen organized a competition with prizes for the winners. The aim is to organize an inclusive event where everyone from diverse backgrounds, economic background, and different abilities can all share in the joy of Gergaoon.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya closed the RCS Ryla Ideathon on Saturday 28th of January at the University College of Bahrain. The participants presented their presentations to the panel of judges. They used the knowledge gained from their vocational visits during the past week in their presentations. We thank the University College Bahrain for being a venue sponsor and Universal Enterprises for sponsoring the refreshments on the first day.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya is very appreciative of the corporations that organized vocational visits for the RYLA participants. Zain, Al Kindi Hospital, Habib Associates, Rain Financial, The Merchant House Hotel, Ila Bank, and the Gulf Hotel. Each company gave a comprehensive tour of their facilities explaining the vocational and corporate aspects.

In observance of January, themed as Vocational Service Month in the Rotary International calendar, the Rotary Club of Salmaniya in District 2452 in Bahrain organized a panel discussion on vocational service and ethics. The panel members were H.E. Dr. Fatima Mohamed AlBalooshi, HE Dr. Mustafa Al-Sayed, and HE Feryal Nass, and the panel was moderated by Dr. Dhafer Alumran. President Hasan AlMansoor opened the meeting with a full attendance of Rotary members and guests.

The Rotary Clubs of Manama, Salmaniya, Adliya and Seef Bahrain jointly donated heaters and blankets to charity societies as part of the Winter Relief Initiative.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya and the Khalid Janahi Charity Society organized the greenhouse harvest for beneficiaries of the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled on Tuesday 17th of January 2023. This is part of the yearly Green House project organized jointly between RC Salmaniya and the Khalid Janahi Charity Society.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya donated 10 fire alarms designed for the deaf and the hearing impaired to the Bahrain Deaf Society on Saturday 14th of January 2023. Each device is designed to emit light and vibrate to alert the deaf person of a possible fire. The device comes with a door bell also designed for the deaf and hearing impaired. In attendance were members of RCS twin club in France RC Blois Sologne.

The Rotary Club of Salmaniya introduced a series of open discussions and knowledge sharing with industry experts called “Let’s Talk” as part of the Rotary International January theme of Vocational Service Month.
This session “Let’s Talk cinema – a talk with filmmaker and director Ammar Zainal” was on the topic of filmmaking, directing & creating visual content at the Bahrain Cinema Club in Juffair on the 12th of January 2023.