MANAMA: King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa honors Zain's Vice-Chairman and Group CEO Bader Al-Kharafi.

MANAMA/KUWAIT: At an honorary ceremony held at the Sakhir palace in Bahrain last week, King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain honored Zain's Vice-Chairman and Group CEO Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi in a ceremony expressing the kingdom's appreciation of Zain Group's efforts to spread the culture of tolerance, dialogue and peace.

King Hamad also acknowledged and praised Zain Group's support and participation in the 'This Is Bahrain' event that was held in Sept 2017 in Los Angeles. 'This in Bahrain' was held on the sidelines of the international launch of the Bahrain Declaration and the King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence patronized by the king.

During the reception in Manama, King Hamad praised and thanked many regional dignitaries and delegations that supported the "This is Bahrain" campaign, acknowledging the positive proactive efforts and results achieved by this international event, including the launch of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence to be established in Bahrain soon.

The center will launch projects aimed at promoting cultural rapprochement between religions and cultures, reflective of King Hamad's efforts to achieve peace and prosperity for all humanity. Additionally, the reception saw the establishment of The Kingdom of Bahrain Declaration as a global document to promote religious freedom with the aim to confront extremism and terrorism.

King Hamad praised the efforts of his son Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, as the representative at this event, for his contribution in clarifying his country's firm position on the protection of religious freedoms and respect for pluralism and intellectual, cultural and religious diversity. He noted that such a position is the best way to preserve the uniqueness and status of Bahrain as the home of love and peace.

Bader Nasser Al-Kharafi, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Zain Group, expressed his pride in the honor bestowed on him: "Being honored by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa is a tribute to all Zain Group personnel and will motivate us to continue participating actively to improve the socioeconomic well-being of communities across our operational footprint and beyond."

Kharafi said: "We appreciate the efforts made by the Kingdom of Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty the King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa in highlighting the civilized face of the kingdom and to promote the culture of human interaction across cultures.

The Declaration of the Kingdom of Bahrain event held in Los Angeles is proof of the kingdom's determination to elevate its outlook on an international level. There is no doubt that this international gathering, which received wide global acclaim, has given a real call for peace to all countries of the world, calling for intensified efforts to address conflicts and eliminate terrorism."

Kharafi concluded: "Zain Group is keen to align with efforts that address conflicts, eliminate terrorism and spread the call for peace among peoples, which we view as being a core component of our corporate sustainability activities."

'This Is Bahrain' was inaugurated by Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, His Majesty's Representative for Charity and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Charity Foundation and attended by representatives from the White House, the United Nations and many media and social figures. Numerous dialogue sessions and intellectual debates among young leaders were hosted at the 'This is Bahrain' event, with views exchanged on shared aspirations in formulating innovative visions to build bridges of peace and tolerance among different cultures and religions.

As a leading telecom based across the Middle East and Africa, Zain has always focused on promoting peace and love of humanity in conformity with its 'A Wonderful World' brand signature. It's tackled topics others may shy away from, like child abuse and the refugee crisis and most recently, decided to tackle head on the impact of the growing threat of extremist terrorism released its 2017 Ramadan message using the universal language of music by releasing a TVC entitled "We Will Sing Love".

The TVC and its song reminds people of the positive force of inner-reflection and forgiveness - and how by forgiving and being there for one another, communities can stay strong in the face of adversity, and to "fight terrorism with love."

The song was released in May 2017 at the start of the holy month, on leading pan regional TV stations and on all major social media channels. Within hours, it was picked up by regional and international media going viral across the globe at a scale never experienced by any Middle East based corporate entity. Audiences may have been polarized in their views, but majority supported and thanked Zain for addressing such a sensitive topic and reminding the world that love can and will conquer all.