PM Modi conferred with The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance in Bahrain

Agencies
August 25, 2019

Manama, Aug 25: King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa received Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday in Gudaibiya Palace, in the presence of Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa and Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Premier, who arrived on a two-day visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The two leaders reviewed deep-rooted historic relations of friendship binding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Republic of India.

This was an Indian PM's first visit to the Kingdom.

The two sides also highlighted aspects of joint cooperation in the investment, economic, commercial, health, scientific and technological sectors, in adding to the sector of energy.

The King bestowed the Bahrain Order - First Class on Modi in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Commenting on the honour, Modi said:

'I feel very honoured and fortunate to be awarded The King Hamad Order of the Renaissance. I am equally honoured by Your Majesty's friendship for me and for my country.

I humbly accept this prestigious honour on behalf of 1.3 billion Indians. It is an honour for entire India. This is a recognition of the close and friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India. These relations go back thousands of years.'

Bahrain's King hailed the memorandum of understanding on the program of cultural exchange, to strengthen the deep-rooted cultural relations, the declaration of intent in the field of space technology on the application of a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the field of exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and a declaration of intent on the Kingdom of Bahrain's accession to the International Solar Coalition, and a memorandum of understanding between The National Electronic Payments Network (BENEFIT) and the Indian National Payments Corporation (NPCI) to discuss cooperation and link payment systems to facilitate payments between the two countries.

HM the King and the Indian Premier discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern, stressing both countries' support to regional and global efforts aimed to bolster the pillars of security and stability in the region and the world.

Speeches

King Hamad:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Your Excellency the Honourable Prime Minister of the Republic India,

Your Highnesses and Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,

It is a pleasure at the outset to welcome you to the Kingdom of Bahrain, and to extend our appreciation for this kind visit, in light of our close and friendly ties with India which date back some seven thousand years of relations between our peoples, through civilisational and cultural interactions and commercial cooperation. We express our pride in the civilisational commonalities and ancient heritage between our countries, and their place in the memory of human history.

We underline here our great interest in strengthening our bilateral relations, as two friendly countries working for global peace and prosperity. We recall with much pride our last visit to your friendly country in 2014, and our constructive discussions and consultations which further enhanced our cooperation and resulted in the signing of many agreements that have been put into effect to raise the levels of our joint work in the political, commercial and industrial fields.

As we are brought together on this auspicious occasion, we renew our appreciation for the important and outstanding role of the Indian community in Bahrain, which contributes to enriching our national development process. The establishment of the Hindu temple more than two hundred years ago in Manama, as the oldest in the region, is a clear testament to the depth of the ties that link us together, and the civilised qualities of peaceful co-existence and freedom of belief and religion that have characterized Bahrain throughout its history.

Your Excellency, Honourable Prime Minister,
The Kingdom of Bahrain is fully convinced of the pioneering role of India at the international level, given its strategic weight and appreciated stances on many core issues. We therefore continue to work with you to maintain the security and stability of the region, in particular to protect trade and oil routes, and to strengthen our cooperation in the areas of cybersecurity, space technology, and energy, including its renewable forms.

In conclusion, we reiterate our welcome to you and your delegation, wishing you continued success, good health and happiness, and for the Republic of India and its friendly people further progress and prosperity.

Peace, mercy and blessings of God be upon you."
HM the King bestowed Bahrain Order - First Class on the Prime Minister of the Republic India in recognition of his efforts to strengthen bilateral relations with the Kingdom of Bahrain.

PM Modi

"I feel very honoured and fortunate to be awarded the Order. I am equally honoured by Your Majesty's friendship for me and for my country.

"I humbly accept this prestigious honour on behalf of 1.3 billion. It is an honour for the entire India.

"This is a symbol of the friendly relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India.

"These relations go back thousands of years and in the 21st century, they are expanding in all areas.

"It is a measure of happiness that in our decisions today, we agreed to add new areas of cooperation and to further strengthen our ties. We aim to make India a five trillion-dollar economy. We would like Bahrain to partner with India more closely for shared progress.

"I am very happy to note that the Indian origin people are the largest foreign community in Bahrain. They are welcome here with open hearts. I thank the leadership of the Kingdom for looking after them and making them feel at home here.

"I consider myself very fortunate to be the first ever Indian Prime Minister to visit this close friend in our neighbourhood.

"I am grateful to the leadership of Bahrain for the generous hospitality for my delegation and me. It would be an honour for me His Majesty in India on a visit.
Thank you."

The King also hosted a dinner banquet in honour of the Indian PM and the accompanying delegation.

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News Network
December 16,2025

jordan.jpg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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