Manama: A delegation from the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (BACA), led by Dr. Huda Abdullah, a Bahraini musician, educator, and researcher, participated in the 28th General Conference of the Arab Music Academy. The conference, an entity affiliated with the League of Arab States, was held in Kuwait and saw broad participation from representatives of Arab countries, cultural institutions, experts, and musicians.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the event was held in conjunction with the 25th International Music Festival, organised by the National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters in Kuwait. The conference sessions addressed organisational, artistic, and financial reports. It also approved the agenda and elected the General Rapporteur and the Drafting Committee. Participants reviewed the final report of the 28th Executive Council meeting, held in Jordan in December 2024, as well as a report by Dr. Kifah Fakhouri, Secretary-General of the Arab Music Academy, detailing the Academy's activities and projects over the past year.
The conference further discussed future projects for 2026 and 2027, including the launch of a digital platform for teaching Arabic music and the inclusion of the Journal of Musical Research in the Scopus database. The continued publication of both the peer-reviewed Journal of Musical Research and the Arab Music e-Journal was also a focus.
Other key initiatives include the International Competition for Arab Music Composition and the Arab Music Academy Awards for the coming years. Participants reviewed the Arab Music History Project and explored ways to enhance the annual celebration of Arab Music Day, observed on March 28 each year.
Dr. Abdullah, who holds a PhD from the Faculty of Music Education at Helwan University in Egypt, is noted for her study "The History of Women's Traditional Songs in the Kingdom of Bahrain" and her Master's thesis "The History of Children's Traditional Songs for Festive Occasions in Bahrain." She currently serves as a Member of the Executive Council and Bahrain's Representative at the Arab Music Academy, as well as Chair of the Music Production Committee, positions she has held since 2009.