
Bahrain Celebrates Next-Gen Excellence: HH Shaikh Isa Leads Tribute to Future Leaders
• HH Shaikh Isa attends graduation
• Students win global scholarships
• New awards honour excellence
You Know What:
Ibn Khuldoon National School was founded in 1983 as Bahrain's first private, non-sectarian, coeducational school offering a bilingual curriculum with an American programme.
Mahir Haneef
TDT| Manama
Bahrain's investment in the next generation took centre stage on Tuesday as His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa attended the 34th graduation ceremony of Ibn Khuldoon National School, held at Exhibition World Bahrain.
Representing the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust and Tamkeen in his dual leadership roles, HH Shaikh Isa hailed the event as a reflection of the Kingdom's national vision to empower youth as drivers of Bahrain's future.
Future builders
HH Shaikh Isa underscored that the strength of Bahrain's education sector stems from the ongoing support of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the strategic leadership of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
HH pointed to the alignment of education policy with national workforce development, noting the role of both public and private institutions in equipping students with the skills needed to lead Bahrain into a new era of regional and global competitiveness.
Global dreams
Two students were honoured during the ceremony for being selected to the Crown Prince's International Scholarship Program (CPISP) for 2025. Noor Khalifa Al Khalifa has been accepted to Princeton University, while Anas Iyad Rafii will attend Purdue University. Both expressed their gratitude to HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister for championing educational opportunities that empower young Bahrainis to realise their ambitions on the global stage.
HH Shaikh Isa extended his congratulations to all graduates and praised the administration, faculty, and staff of Ibn Khuldoon National School for their commitment to academic excellence.
New honours launched
The event also marked the launch of two new awards: the Farooq Almoayyed Leadership Award, presented by the Almoayyed family, and the Aisha Excellence Award, established by the family of the late Shaikha Aisha bint Abdullah Al Khalifa. A new scholarship from the University of Strathclyde Bahrain was also announced, expanding the ecosystem of academic recognition.
HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, members of the royal family, senior officials, and families of the graduates were also present at the ceremony.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Gulf Insider
a day ago
- Gulf Insider
Coinbase CEO Fears Bitcoin Replaces Dollar If US Debt Grows As Elon Musk Calls For Firing Of 215 Republicans
Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase, issued a stark warning this week: if U.S. lawmakers don't get the national debt under control, Bitcoin could supplant the dollar as the world's reserve currency. 'If the electorate doesn't hold Congress accountable to reducing the deficit, and start paying down the debt, Bitcoin is going to take over as reserve currency,' Armstrong posted on X. 'I love Bitcoin, but a strong America is also super important for the world. We need to get our finances under control.' His comment was a direct response to a post from World of Statistics showing U.S. national debt figures over time. The numbers paint a dramatic picture: debt has soared from $5.7 trillion in 2000 to $36.9 trillion in 2025, a more than sixfold increase in just 25 years. The tweet sparked widespread debate, drawing reactions from prominent figures across crypto and mainstream culture. YouTube creator MrBeast asked bluntly, 'We're just going to casually build up over $100 trillion in debt in our lifetimes, and people will just continue to be chill with it and loan us money?' Crypto influencer Wendy O weighed in with skepticism: 'Bitcoin will never be a reserve currency because of its volatility. But it will be desired. A stablecoin… yes.' Meanwhile, HODL15Capital echoed Armstrong's concern from a different angle: 'Bitcoin has no top because fiat printing will never end.' Elon Musk retweeted the post and replied with an American flag emoji. Musk appears genuinely frustrated with the current administration after leaving his White House position. He attacked Republican Congressmen who voted in favor of the 'One Big Beautiful Bill,' calling it 'a disgusting abomination' in government spending. Musk also echoed Armstrong's sentiment in another post: 'Interest payments already consume 25% of all government revenue. If the massive deficit spending continues, there will only be money for interest payments and nothing else.' Musk's late-night tirade continued across multiple posts, claiming, 'Mammoth spending bills are bankrupting America!' He also called for firing all politicians who supported the bill in next year's midterms, declaring, 'In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.' The statement was made while quote-tweeting a post by Matt Van Swol highlighting GOP overspending, ignoring DOGE cuts, and spending too much time on vacation. All but five Republican congressmen voted 'YES' on the controversial bill, while all 214 Democrats voted 'NO.' The backdrop to this discourse is a troubling fiscal trajectory. According to Congressional Budget Office estimates, the interest on the federal debt alone will approach $1 trillion this year and could double by the mid-2030s. Rising entitlement costs, pandemic-era spending, and bipartisan reluctance to raise taxes or cut popular programs have all contributed to ballooning deficits. The dollar's position as the global reserve currency has long been underpinned by the scale and perceived stability of the U.S. economy and deep and liquid Treasury markets. Replacing that infrastructure with Bitcoin would require seismic shifts in monetary policy, financial regulation, and sovereign behavior. Still, institutional interest in Bitcoin continues to grow. With BTC trading above $100,000 in 2025 and spot ETFs now widely available, the narrative of Bitcoin as 'digital gold' has moved from the fringes into boardrooms. Yet, it remains a relatively volatile asset and lacks the macroeconomic levers, such as interest rates and fiscal control, that underpin fiat systems. Still, Bitcoin volatility is declining, reducing the strength of this criticism. Click here to read more…


Gulf Insider
a day ago
- Gulf Insider
US Refuses Air Cover For European 'Reassurance Force' In Postwar Ukraine
The British and French-led effort to establish a 'coalition of the willing' to stand up to Russia and defend Ukraine just hit another major roadblock, as Bloomberg is reporting Wednesday the US has effectively vetoed a plan to provide American air defenses to back a 'reassurance force' for postwar Ukraine. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has been insisting that US-backed air defenses are key to any future permanent settlement plans for ending the war. Western proposals for ending the war have all featured foreign-backed and monitored security guarantees for Ukraine. On this, Starmer had said back in February that 'There must be a US backstop' and that the 'US security guarantee is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again.' After Western billions already sunk into keeping Ukraine's military and civic infrastructure afloat, the UK and France are also seeking from President Trump pledges of future air power, and border surveillance and intelligence. The Europeans also envision a strong, permanent security bulwark backed by the United States along NATO's eastern flank. Yet, President Trump has repeatedly warned allies that if NATO countries don't pay their fair share they won't be protected. This despite European leaders as well as some US politicians expressing recent concern that the Atlantic alliance is becoming weaker than ever, and that Article 5 collective defense is in peril. Trump has lashed out at NATO countries for not even meeting their current two percent spending goal while the unfair burden has long fallen United States. 'We appreciate the work that the allies, particularly France and the United Kingdom together with Germany and others have undertaken to develop the coalition of the willing,' US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said at a press breifing Brussels on Wednesday. 'We are counting on all our European allies to continue taking the leadership position in contributing military resources and providing the political capital to make security guarantees a reality.' All of this comes as it was only on Tuesday that Dutch slapped down a proposal to increase defense spending to 3.5% of gross domestic product (GDP), key to NATO's capability targets, in a non-binding motion. Click here to read more…


Gulf Insider
a day ago
- Gulf Insider
European Industry Under Siege: China Deploys Rare Earths As Economic Weapon
As U.S. tariffs tighten the screws on China's export machine, Beijing is striking back—with strategic precision. Export restrictions on rare earths are now Beijing's latest move to break down European trade barriers and push back against escalating pressure from Washington. In today's global trade standoff, the gloves are off. The U.S. is wielding its market clout—25% of global consumption originates from the American domestic market. Anyone in the export business must deal with the United States. China, meanwhile, holds an unchallenged monopoly on rare earths—and is making it clear it will not hesitate to weaponize that dominance. The stakes are rising, and national interests now override globalist courtesies. No Friends—Only Alliances Europe is learning the hard way: in geopolitics, there are no friends, only temporary alliances. China's tightened export controls on rare earth elements risk plunging Germany's industrial sector into a severe resource crisis. With nearly 85% of global rare earth refining under its control, Beijing is the chief supplier of key metals like dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium—critical for electric motors, medical tech, and defense systems. Since April 2025, access to these raw materials has been restricted to licensed exporters only—a de facto embargo. The fallout is immediate: several German manufacturers have already been forced to scale back operations. Others face complete shutdowns. Industrial metal prices continue climbing, and the fragility of global supply chains is now exposed in brutal detail. Europe's resource dependency is becoming a major liability—and a strategic weakness in the coming trade war negotiations. Target: New Markets China's export curbs are a calculated pressure tactic in its standoff with both the U.S. and EU. Beijing is feeling the squeeze from the Trump administration's hardline trade policy. If Washington fails to shrink its massive trade deficit and restore U.S. industrial capacity, Trump's economic agenda is toast. Beijing faces its own nightmare scenario. To appease U.S. demands and cut trade surpluses, it would need to let the yuan rise—risking domestic unrest. A more affluent middle class might start demanding political influence. That's a nightmare for China's authoritarian elite. At the same time, the economic foundation of Communist Party rule is crumbling. China's domestic economy is faltering, its real estate and industrial sectors flashing recession signals. The Party's once-effective social contract—'stay out of politics and we'll deliver prosperity'—is losing credibility amid youth unemployment and economic stagnation. Click here to read more…