Bahraini King Hamad receives delegations

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa today received atAl-Sakhir Palace the participants in the conference on dialogue between civilisationsand cultures, led by Al-Azhar Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb and His RoyalHighness Prince El-Hassan bin Talal.His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and HisRoyal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy SupremeCommander and First Deputy Premier attended. Themed "Civilisations in Service ofHumanity", the three-day conference opened today in the Kingdom of Bahrain underthe patronage of HM the King.HM the King welcomed them all the delegations in Bahrain, thanking them for theirparticipation in the key conference which promotes dialogue between civilisationsand cultures. "We gather today, with a unity of purpose and hopeful hearts for thesake of a unified humanity that transcends time and space", he said, underscoringthe importance of the fraternal meeting in promoting a civilized alliance thatensures a better future for all human beings to live in peace and security.He stressed the importance of fostering tolerance and fraternity and standingunited to maintain security and safety and ward off the scourges of fanaticism,extremism and terrorism. He described the conference as an opportunity for all tocontinue efforts to build balanced human relations based on mutual respect anddialogue. Bahrain, HM the King said, will always remain at the crossroads of civilisations, along-standing oasis of intellectual plurality, a beacon of cultural diversity, fullycommitted to all that unifies human beings. Al-Azhar Grand Imam Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb addressed the gathering, hailing strong relations of fraternity bonding Egypt,HM the King and the Kingdom of Bahrain.He stressed Bahrain's deep-rooted Islamic heritage which dates back to the advent ofIslam. He paid tribute to strong-willed Bahraini people for their resilience, bravingall adversities all along their history. "Bahrainis have every right to feel proud oftheir deep-rooted history which inspires them more strength and resilience", he said,stressing their ability to overcome hardships and crises, armed with their far-sighted wisdom and Arab and Islamic identity.Dr. Al-Tayeb said that Bahrain, endowed with as strategic location and a civilised people, has all along its history epitomized peaceful-coexistence, tolerance andamity between all people. Addressing the gathering, HRH Prince El-Hassan bin Talalwelcomed HM the King and the attendees, hailing Bahrain's long-standing Islamicroots.He underscored the importance of the conference, being held under the theme"Civilisations in Service of Humanity". He stressed his keenness on the success of theconference to serve its noble goals and empower efforts to explore practicalsolutions to human problems.HRH Prince El-Hassan bin Talal paid tribute to HM the King and Bahrain people forhosting the key conference. His Beatitude John X Greek Orthodox Patriarch ofAntioch and all the East paid tribute to HM the King for the invitation to attend thekey conference.He underscored the importance of the conference – themed "Civilisations in Serviceof Humanity" stressing long-standing values bonding all human beings. HM KingHamad then hosted a lunch banquet in honour of the delegations taking part in theconference on dialogue between civilisations and cultures.