Agriculture Minister Visits ‘Mara’ee 2025’ Exhibition

Manama: Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, visited the Bahrain International Exhibition "Mara'ee 2025", held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. The visit included a tour of the exhibition's various pavilions, during which the minister met with farmers, breeders, and representatives of participating companies and institutions, and reviewed the latest agricultural and animal projects and initiatives on display. According to Bahrain News Agency, the minister also visited the Bahrain Mangrove Exhibition, highlighting national efforts to quadruple the number of mangrove trees by 2035, alongside reviewing the national afforestation plan, aiming to increase the number of trees in the Kingdom from 1.8 million to 3.6 million by 2035. During the visit, the minister honoured the winners of the photography competition featuring mangrove sites in Bahrain. The competition received broad participation with 286 entries reflecting the natural beauty and ecological value of the mangrove environments. The submissions were evaluated by a judging panel consisting of specialists from the Gulf University, the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture Affairs, and professional photographers, with the five best entries selected. Rabab Isa Folath won first place, Jassim Madan Ahmed came second, Hani Ali Badr placed third, Zakaria Abdulrasool Omran secured fourth place, and Ali Mustafa Jaafar took fifth place, recognising their distinguished photographic works showcasing the natural beauty of Bahrain's mangrove sites. The minister commended the quality of the submissions, emphasising that such initiatives contribute to raising environmental awareness and enhancing community partnership. Minister Al Mubarak highlighted the importance of GCC and international participation in "Mara'ee 2025", noting that the current edition supports national food security initiatives. He also expressed pride in the large public turnout and the wide engagement of different segments of society at the exhibition. The visit also included the student agricultural innovation pavilion, where the minister met with participating students and reviewed their innovative projects aimed at supporting the sustainability and development of the agricultural sector. The minister also honoured the schools that won in the agricultural innovation competitions, commending their efforts and contributions to raising agricultural awareness among the youth. The winning schools included: Bayan Bahrain School, Zainab Preparatory School for Girls, Riffa Views International School, Al Naseem International School, Umm Salama Preparatory and Secondary School for Girls, Al Ru'ya Al Hadeetha School, Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Institute of Technology, Al Diyah Preparatory School for Girls, Al Istiqlal Secondary School for Girls, and Saar Secondary School for Girls.