12 July 2020
H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammad Al-Khalifa Among “ Identity” Magazine List of individuals who have made positive contributions to design and architecture across the Middle East and North Africa
The architecture and design magazine “Identity,” based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, selected Her Excellency Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, as one of 50 people celebrated for their positive contributions in the fields of architecture and design within the Middle East and North African region.
The magazine in its 200th issue in July/August 2020 pays tribute to 50 individuals across design and architecture who have made positive contributions to their respective fields. This was also a time for us to recognize that architecture and design is part of a larger network that is not only fed by its talented architects and designers, but also includes a larger collective of individuals. These individuals support the existing ecosystem and drive forward young talent, while helping preserve the region’s or abroad cultural heritage and developing its creative economy.
The magazine shed lights on H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, as a leading figure in the Arab culture and art scenes, having spearheaded national efforts to develop infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain for heritage conservation and propel the growth of sustainable tourism in the country.
The report also enumerated H.E’s contributions and efforts with regard to the safeguard of cultural heritage and traditional architecture in Bahrain, as part of her official responsibilities as President of the Bahrain Authority for Culture & Antiquities and as the founder of the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research and Chair of its Board of Trustees since 2002, she works actively to foster culture and preserve the traditional architecture of Bahrain. The center has since conserved and rehabilitated over 25 traditional Bahraini houses and spearheaded the urban regeneration of the historic city of Muharraq.
The magazine highlighted H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al Khalifa’s brilliant CV as one of the leading personalities and great figures in the cultural scene in the Arab world and internationally, shedding lights on her efforts to develop the cultural infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain and enhance the cultural tourism industry.
Among her exceptional and myriad outstanding international achievements, the “Identity” magazine report also mentioned the inscriptions of Bahraini archeological sites on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, in addition to the founding of the Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage, a UNESCO Category 2 Centre. Among other honors, H.E Shaikha Mai has been awarded the Creation and Heritage Prize from the Comite Colbert as well as the Watch Award by the World Monument Fund in 2015 for her role in the preservation and protection of culture and heritage in Bahrain, the first-ever Arab personality to receive the recognition. In 2017 she was made the Special Ambassador of the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the magazine mentioned.
Worth to mention that “identity” magazine, is a motivate publication launched in 2002, as a professional, pioneering, professional and world-class, featuring unbiased and independent editorial content providing inspirational ideas and cutting-edge concepts from the design capitals of the world. identity is an essential publication for architecture, interiors, design, and property professionals, as well as design-conscious consumers and students and an avid supporter and advocate for region’s growth via design initiatives and economic development as a global design destination.
