Press and Foreign Media Affairs

Press and Foreign Media is one of the sectors of the Ministry of Culture and Information. Its aim is to strengthen the Ministry's strategy with regard to improving the performance of the media and to highlight political, economic, social, and leading cultural achievements witnessed by the Kingdom of Bahrain, during the era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa King of Bahrain.

  
The Press and Foreign media sector has a specific plan to enhance media coverage through partnership with local and international media institutions. This includes strengthening media cooperation at Gulf, Arab and international levels. Also, it requires building closer links with media and international human rights organizations to ensure the presence of Bahraini media globally, that would reflect development process in Bahrain.

Press and foreign media was established in 1996 under the name of "Foreign Media", a Department aiming to support the accurate and balanced reporting of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the international media. The sector went through several phases since its inception and reached its greatest performance with the reform project introduced by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa with his accession to the thrown in March 1999.

The sector is currently composed of two departments: foreign media and press affairs, both of which have sub-sections such as research and studies, monitoring, follow-up press and media, regional and international media, and many others.

The activities of the sector revolves around the achievements of the Kingdom in the different domains such as political, democratic reforms, human rights, freedom of the press, human development and economic progress along with the development of civil society and women's rights in line with the reform project of His Majesty the King and in conformity with the economic vision of the Kingdom of Bahrain until 2030.

Press and Foreign media provides facilities to media correspondents to ensure highest levels of international media coverage, whether through their access to accurate information or by giving them the opportunity to meet senior officials and opinion makers, as well as registering reporters, journalists and media professionals in Bahrain. In addition, it provides continuous support to Bahrain Journalists Association, Foreign Correspondents Club and the Federation of Gulf Press.

 
The sector also serves to organize media centers that cover major and significant events in the country. Plus, it focuses on building positive and constructive links with a wider variety of media organizations, international organizations and think tank centers.

 
Press and foreign media sector has been organizing training courses since 2008 to enhance the skills of journalists, media professionals and representatives of public relations in different ministries and government agencies, in coordination and cooperation with leading newspapers, radio stations and Arab satellite channels. This comes under the Ministry's plans to graduate generations of media personnel who are capable of promoting media industry.