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H.E Shaikha Mai bint Mohammad Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain's Authority for Culture & Antiquities participate, Tuesday evening 20 October 2020,  through a recorded speech in an international forum organized remotely by the Italian Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation to highlight the publications of the forum 2020, Building Peace through Heritage - World Forum to Change through Dialogue.

In her opening speech, H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, expressed her thanks to the Romualdo Del Bianco Foundation for inviting her to participate in the forum, held under special and critical health pandemic circumstances, but  deemed crucially important as well,  to cast light on culture and heritage as well as communication between peoples and civilizations.

H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa said that “  There is no doubt  that  the publications of “Building Peace through Heritage” forum will have an active role in promoting the importance of culture and its role in laying bridges of cooperation between peoples, especially at this time when the world is suffering from various  disturbances and upheavals”. H.E Shaikha Mai reiterated the importance of world heritage and its crucial role as a Lingua franca between all humans and countries. In addition, H.E noted that culture basic infrastructure provides excellent opportunities capable of developing and improving local communities, their tangible and intangible heritage. This heritage is a, indeed, a favored destination for cultural tourism industry that certainly would contribute to the achieve sustainable development with regard to heritage sites, projects, and any nation’s exceptional assets, landmarks and characteristics, H.E reinterred 

Bahrain Culture Authority’s President added saying that  cultural tourism cultural tourism is inextricably linked to heritage, as today’s  tourists  and visitors look for something else more than sandy  beaches and rosy nights; they tend to explore the depths of a nation’s heritage and real identity. H.E also highlighted the United Nations’ strong belief and commitment to cultural tourism as a main tributary for sustainable development.
 
H.E Shaikha Mai Bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa underscored continuity of cultural work despite the coronavirus pandemic via technology, which has emerged as a critical tool for both living and working. Indeed, by making use of digital data and technologies as a tool to improve international inter-cultural public policies communication, we promote national cultural achievements, invigorate internal tourism and inform the public of their cultural heritage, H.E added. 
 
By the end of her speech, H.E bestowed an invitation upon the attending audience to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain, once things get better, to discover Bahrain’s UNESCO’s World Heritage List sites, namely Qala’at al Bahrain, Pearling Path and Dilmun Burial Mounds.

Worth to mention that the collection of publications of the Forum 2020 Building Peace through Heritage - World Forum to Change through Dialogue, featured scientific presentations by experts in many domains to comment on the forum’s three published books. Indeed, overall more than 1200 pages, over 230 contributions and scientific articles by authors from 48 countries that lay down certain guidelines both for the world of heritage and for the world of hospitality, in order to outline a way forward for the peaceful coexistence among people and health of our planet earth, albeit a way forward impacted by the recent upheavals caused by Covid-19.