Rome: Four agricultural villages in the Kingdom of Bahrain have received international recognition from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) under the FAO Villages Recognition Initiative during the FAO World Conference in Rome, Italy. Hoorat A’ali was recognised for its focus on science, innovation, and digital villages; Buri village for its natural villages; Karranah village for traditional food cultures; and Budaiya for agritourism experiences, showcasing Bahrain’s agricultural initiatives and sustainable practices.
According to Bahrain News Agency, Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak, Minister of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, attributed the sector’s ongoing achievements to the reign of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. He highlighted the continuous support from Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Consultative Council of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD), and her role in supporting Bahraini farmers and promoting agricultural and rural development.
The minister praised the active partnership between the ministry and NIAD, noting that the international recognition reflects the developmental and agricultural strengths of Bahraini villages. He emphasized the role of villagers and farmers in preserving agricultural heritage and adopting sustainable practices that enhance national food security, support sustainable agricultural development, and empower rural communities.
He further explained that Bahrain’s villages were approved under the initiative after meeting all technical and procedural standards, including institutional and field evaluation, sustainable agricultural practices, natural resource preservation, community engagement, and protection of agricultural heritage, underscoring the advanced level achieved by Bahrain’s agricultural sector.
Asim Abdullatif Abdulla, Undersecretary of Agriculture and Animal Wealth Affairs at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, thanked FAO and the initiative’s teams for their efforts in launching this global programme and recognising outstanding agricultural villages worldwide. He stated that the recognition reflects the depth of Bahrain’s partnership with the organisation and contributes to knowledge exchange in food security and sustainable rural development.
He added that the FAO’s Villages Recognition Initiative is an international effort to showcase rural villages as successful models of sustainable agricultural development, with nominated villages undergoing a rigorous process including technical evaluation and verification of practices and documentation.
Abdulla noted that the FAO awarded official certificates to each recognised Bahraini village and prepared independent profiles for each village on the FAO MuNe Network of multifunctional villages, highlighting Bahrain’s experience in developing agricultural villages and enhancing the Kingdom’s presence in international initiatives on food security and sustainable rural development.