Hosts

	Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa King of Bahrain
	Khalifa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa Prime Minister Kingdom of Bahrain
	Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa Crown Prince Kingdom of Bahrain
	Khalid Al Faisal President Arab Thought Foundation

Bahrain 2007 Sponsors

Main Sponsors - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Orascom Telecom - Sponsor - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Aramco- Sponsor - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Golden Sponsors - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Al Faisaliah Group - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

OFID - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Nomura - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Silver Sponsors - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

GIB - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

GFH- Sponsor - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Media Sponsors - Fikr 6 conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Al-Hayat- Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

BBC - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the global Era

CNBC Arabiya - Sponsor - Fikr 6 Conference : Arab Strategies for the Global Era

Hotels (Special prices for the Conference)

Mercure Grand Hotel Seef
Road 2827 P.O.Box 18084 Seef District 0 Manama – Bahrain
Hotel Code: 5686 – Tel. +973 17 584400
Fax: 973 17 584401
Email: h5685@accor.com.bh
www.mercure.com
www.mercurebahrain.com
Elite Seef Residence
15 minutes drive from the Bahrain International Airport, 20 minutes from King Fahad Causeway
All reservations must be sent via Email addressed to the bellow details:
Email: sales_esh@elitegroup4u.com --- Cynthia@elitegroup4u.com
Tel. + 973 17 558241
Fax + 973 17 550817
www.elitegroup4u.com

General information on Bahrain:

    The Kingdom of Bahrain, or Bahrain, is a borderless country in the Persian Gulf (Southwest Asia/Middle East, Asia). Saudi Arabia is to the west and is connected to Bahrain by a causeway, and Qatar is to the south across the Gulf of Bahrain.

Official Languages: Arabic
Capital : Manamah
Population: 667,238
Currency : Bahraini Dinar (BHD)

History:

    Bahrain has been populated by humans since prehistoric times. Its strategic location in the Persian Gulf has brought rule from the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, and finally the Arabs, under whom the island became Muslim. Bahrain was in the ancient times known by its Persian name Mishmahig and was a part of the Persian Empire.

     The modern history of Bahrain begins with the British meddling in Iranian affairs and the British support for the Al-Khalifa family, who established a power base in the island and built alliances with the British in order to separate the island from Iran. The British gained free access to the Persian Gulf through this agreement. In November of 1957, the Iranian parliament announced Bahrain as the Fourteenth province of Iran. Later the British would directly become involved in the politics of Bahrain by handpicking an emir of the island. Eventually Iran and Britain agreed that the matter of Dominion of Bahrain would be put to international judgment and requested the United Nations General Secretary to take on this responsibility. By a Plebiscite and not a Referendum the British finally succeeded in secession of Bahrain from mainland Iran. Oil was discovered in the early 20th century and brought rapid modernization and improvements to Bahrain. It also made relations with Britain tighter, and this was evidenced by the British moving more bases to the island nation. British influence would continue to grow, culminating with the appointment of Charles Belgrave as an advisor; Belgrave established modern education systems in Bahrain. After World War II, increasing anti-British feeling spread throughout the Arab world and led to some riots in Bahrain. The British withdrew from Bahrain in 1971, making it an independent emirate. The oil boom of the 1980s greatly benefitted Bahrain, but its downturn was not as badly felt, as the economy of Bahrain began to diversify.

     In the 1990s, increased calls for a representative government pushed the then-emir to form the first cabinet in 1994. While it increased in size as the decade wore on, it was not wholly satisfactory and led to further rioting. The Persian Gulf War also brought a heavy American military presence to Bahrain that remains to this day and is a cause of tension.


Economy:

    In Bahrain, petroleum production and processing account for about 60% of export receipts, 60% of government revenues, and 30% of GDP. Economic conditions have fluctuated with the changing fortunes of oil since 1985, for example, during and following the Persian Gulf crisis of 1990-91. With its highly developed communication and transport facilities, Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Persian Gulf. A large share of exports consists of petroleum products made from imported crude. Construction proceeds on several major industrial projects. Unemployment, especially among the young, and the depletion of both oil and underground water resources are major long-term economic problems.

Geography :

    Bahrain is a generally flat and arid archipelago, comprising of a low desert plain rising gently to a low central escarpment, in the Persian Gulf, east of Saudi Arabia. The highest point is the 122m Jabal ad Dukhan. Considered to be one of the fifteen states that comprise the so-called "Cradle of Humanity" in the Middle East, Bahrain has a total area of 620 km², which is slightly larger than the Isle of Man. As an archipelago, Bahrain does not share a land boundary with another country but does have a 161 km coastline and claims a further 12 nm of territorial sea and a 24 nm contiguous zone. Bahrain enjoys mild winters and endures very hot, humid summers. Bahrain's natural resources include large quantities of oil and associated and nonassociated natural gas as well as fish stocks, which is perhaps fortunate as arable land constitutes only 1% of the country. Desert constitutes 92% of Bahrain and periodic droughts and dust storms are the main natural hazards for Bahraini's. Environmental issues facing Bahrain include desertification resulting from the degradation of limited arable land and coastal degradation (damage to coastlines, coral reefs, and sea vegetation) resulting from oil spills and other discharges from large tankers, oil refineries, and distribution stations.

Demographics

    The official religion of Bahrain is Islam. Shiite Muslims are the majority, composing about 75% of the population, but the Sunni Muslims dominate the government, military and security forces. Most of the Shiites are from the “Bahaareyneh-gaan”; the decedents of Persian origin population of the ancient Bahrain. There are small indigenous Jewish minorities, and some Christian ones, largely composed of foreign workers. Two thirds of Bahrain's population consists of Arabs while the rest of immigrants and guest workers that are largely from Iran, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Entry visas to Bahrain:

    Virtually everyone needs a visa to enter Bahrain, except for G.C.C. Nationals but these are not usually difficult to obtain. Two-week visitors' visas for Bahrain costing BD 5 are issued to most native-born nationals from Europe, Canada, Australia or New Zealand without problems either at Bahrain International Airport or on the King Fahad Causeway from Saudi Arabia. US citizens must pay either BD 1O for a Bahrain three-day visa or BD 15 for Bahrain seven days. British Nationals will be issued an automatic three month Visa, which costs BD 3 due to a reciprocal deal for Bahraini Nationals in the UK. Visitors able to prove that they are travelling on to Saudi Arabia pay only BD 2. It should not be assumed that Bahrain visas will necessarily be issued for the spouse and children of the worker. Some agreements with Middle-Eastern countries to abolish visas have been affected by new European Union arrangements, so check that your visas are in order for onward travel, including those of your spouse and children.
    Foreign nationals may enter Bahrain with a tourist visa (for individuals or groups), 72-hour visa, 7-day visa, visit visa, business visa, family visa, dependent visa or an employment visa. In addition, all visitors who hold valid resident permits for Saudi Arabia can be issued a free 2-week visa. All applications for extension must be signed by a local sponsor. In the case of tourist visas, the hotel may act as a sponsor.

Visa Requirements For Bahrain

1) A Valid Passport (must be valid for at least 6 months after date of departure to Bahrain).

2) Completed VISA APPLICATION with one (1) Passport size photo attached.
(All applications for minors must be accompanied by a letter of consent from both parents
and a photocopy of both parents' passports)
3) Cost of Visa application from Bahrain Embassy in USA

For US and Canadian citizens: $50.00 for a multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years and allowing a maximum stay of up to 4 weeks per visit.
For British citizens: $55.00 for a multiple-entry visa valid for 5 years and allowing a maximum stay of up to 4 weeks per visit.
For citizens of the following countries (listed below): $30.00 for a single-entry visa valid for 3 months and allowing a maximum stay of 2 weeks.

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

For citizens of all other countries: $30.00 for a single-entry visa valid for 3 months with a maximum stay of 2 weeks. Please allow at least 6-8 weeks to process.
For citizens of all of the above mentioned countries, visas are also available upon arrival to Bahrain.

4) Contact the Embassy Closest to you and organise where you should send your application.

5) You will need to have the following letter:

For an official or diplomatic visa (Visa Fee Gratis):
A letter (on official letterhead) from the U.S. Armed Services or State Department stating the purpose and duration of the visit.

For a business visa:
An original letter (on company letterhead) stating the purpose and duration of the visit and the applicant's responsibility for all travel expenses (photocopies are not accepted).