Latest news with #Bahrain
Trade Arabia
5 hours ago
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Gulf Air unveils exclusive Amenity Kit to mark 75th anniversary
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, announces the launch of its new amenity kit in celebration of the airline's 75th anniversary. This exclusive kit is part of Gulf Air's ongoing efforts to enhance onboard products and elevate passenger experience, said the flag-carrier in a statement. Developed in collaboration with GAIA, a renowned Bahraini brand, the amenity kit reflects Gulf Air's commitment to delivering premium products that embody thoughtful design, functionality, and sustainability. The GAIA-branded bag is crafted from recycled materials, offering a contemporary and elegant look that resonates with the airline's identity and sustainability efforts. The contents of the kit have been carefully curated to meet the expectations of discerning travellers and will be offered to Falcon Gold passengers with meaningful content. It includes individually packaged travel essential items coupled with skincare products from the Rituals of Jing collection. All materials used in the kit are ethically sourced, incorporating sustainable elements like wheat straw packaging to reflect Gulf Air's dedication to environmental responsibility, said the statement.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
King given Rolls-Royce by Bahrain
The King was given a Rolls-Royce car by the King of Bahrain as a Coronation gift, it has emerged. The car, a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II, has entered the royal fleet for official rather than personal use, it is understood, and has not yet been seen carrying the Royal family on public duty. The gift, from Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, was made in May 2023 in honour of the Coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla, and has now come to light as part of the official gift list published by Buckingham Palace. The car can run on both petrol and biofuel, with the latter in line with the King's own eco credentials. It is believed to be the only car given by a foreign royal family to be in the state fleet. There are close royal ties between Britain and Bahrain, with 37 royal visits to the Middle Eastern country since 1965. The King last visited in 2016 when he was Prince of Wales. In November 2024, the Bahraini King visited the King in Windsor, with a guard of honour and tea at the castle to mark his own silver jubilee. He was also appointed Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order. The gift was included in a list of items received by the King as part of his public life during his Coronation year in 2023. Queen Elizabeth II The final official gifts given to Queen Elizabeth II before she died have also been revealed, including two lamp posts, blankets for her ponies and a drawing of her beloved Balmoral. The late Queen received a bottle of gin from the governor of New South Wales, a hazel walking cane from Her Majesty's Army, a platinum and diamond brooch from the Freemasons and a cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope Francis. The president of the Swiss Confederation gave her two blankets for her ponies, embroidered with the flags of Switzerland and the UK. The Houses of Parliament gave two lamp posts 'in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts', as a present for the Platinum Jubilee. Justin Welby, then archbishop of Canterbury, gave a Canterbury Cross and a clipping of the fig tree at Lambeth Palace, and Nicola Sturgeon, then first minister of Scotland, gave a bottle of special-edition whisky. The list of gifts, which includes books, stamps, jewellery and numerous gifts from school children, has been released by Buckingham Palace as part of the official record of 2022. Queen Elizabeth II died on Sept 8 2022, making it the final list of her 70-year reign. In 2021, the late Queen received a cobble from the original set of Coronation Street during a visit to the set. King Charles and Queen Camilla Volodymyr Zelensky, president of Ukraine, gave the King a framed mosaic, a scroll about St Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, and a signed Ukrainian ship's flag during a 2023 audience – all are known to be areas of interest for King Charles. The president of Poland gave him a set of items relating to honey, the ambassador for Laos presented a sticky-rice basket, and the Muslim World League gave a model of a palm tree. From the president of Germany came a Beethoven CD and DVD set for the King, along with an insect hotel and bottle of port; the Blue Peter team sent gold badges. A ceremonial sword came from the Canadian Mounties, a feather crown from the indigenous leaders of the Amazon, and a leather folder of letters between Queen Elizabeth II and president Eisenhower came from Joe and Jill Biden, along with a framed photograph of Marine One landing on the lawn in Windsor. Cyril Ramaphosa, the president of the Republic of South Africa, gave the Queen a pair of candlesticks in November 2022, while Prince Jan Lubomirski-Lanckoronski, a Polish prince, gave her a rose pink hat with a feather in July 2023. The first lady of Kenya gave the Queen an embroidered giraffe in October 2023 on a state visit to Kenya, along with a tapestry of a zebra. The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway gave her a collection of books in March 2023, which included Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson and Love by Hanne Orstavik. The first lady of the Arab Republic of Egypt also gave the Queen a bag in November 2021. Prince and Princess of Wales The Prince and Princess of Wales have received dozens of gifts to take for their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, including rugby balls from France in 2023, bracelets and paint sets from Poland, and t-shirts, fire hats and backpacks from New York. They received 89 gifts, mostly from members of the public, during their 2022 tour of the Caribbean, each receiving a snorkel set, a wetsuit, a pair of diving fins and a swimming cap. Andrew Holness, the republican prime minister of Jamaica, who used the trip to say he wanted to get rid of the monarchy, gave them a bottle of rum. In 2020, the couple each received a toiletries set from Michael D Higgins, the president of Ireland, and his wife, Sabina Higgins, during an official visit. During that trip, they also each received GAA club jerseys, as well as a bottle of whisky and two whisky tumblers. Others In July 2021, the Princess Royal was given a set of five children's mouthguards on an official visit to mouthguard manufacturer Opro. A box of 51 acorns was given to her in January 2023 by the Friends of Royal Wansted School to mark the 51 years since the closure of the school. She was also given a maritime knot in a bottle the same month on a visit to Estonia, along with a giant decorative tortoise in July on a visit to Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. In October 2023, she received a handmade pygmy hog statue during the 141st International Olympic Committee Session in Mumbai. The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, then the Count and Countess of Wessex, were given a Lagos version of Monopoly in February 2020 from the High Commission, Nigeria. The Duke of Kent, meanwhile, received a small silver coaster from Boodles to commemorate his patronage in April 2023. Royal gift rules Official gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on them. They can eat any food they are given and perishable official gifts with a value less than £150 can be given to charity or staff. Gifts cannot be sold or exchanged and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the nation. The rules on official presents were tightened following the Peat Inquiry in 2003 into the sale of royal gifts and the running of St James's Palace. No gift lists have been published since 2021, with Buckingham Palace releasing all four years of records in one tranche on Friday.
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
King Charles gifted Rolls-Royce for coronation, official register reveals
King Charles III received a Rolls-Royce as a coronation gift, an official register has Palace has released records listing the official gifts received by members of the Royal Family from 2020 to Rolls Royce Cullinan Series II motor car was given by the King of Bahrain Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. It is thought to be worth at least £300,000, and will be used on official occasions and not for personal use. Other gifts on the list also included a feather crown from Amazonian Indigenous leaders, two gold Blue Peter badges and a tea set from Smythson of Bond Street. In April 2023, just before his coronation, the King received two gold Blue Peter badges, one each for himself and received the famous badges for their environmental work, support for young people through the Prince's Trust, now the King's Trust, and work highlighting the importance of literacy and reading from a young age the coronation itself, alongside the Rolls-Royce, the Bahraini king gave Charles a decorative clock. Meanwhile, former President of the United States Joe Biden gave Charles a leather folder containing printed letters between Elizabeth II and President Dwight Eisenhower inviting him to the United Kingdom, with a photograph of the list also includes gifts presented to other members of the royal family including the Prince and Princess of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth her Platinum Jubilee, the late queen was gifted two lamp-posts which would stand outside the Houses of Parliament in the form of bronze sculptures of heraldic beasts and a Cedar of Lebanon tree from Pope gifts can be worn and used, but are not considered the royals' personal property. The royals do not pay tax on cannot be sold or exchanged - though perishable official gifts with a value less than £150 can be given to charity or staff - and eventually become part of the Royal Collection, which is held in trust for successors and the the palace releases records listing the official gifts received by members of the royal family annually, however due to delays caused by the Covid pandemic, death of Elizabeth II and the coronation this is the first time a list has been published in the King's reign. Sign up here to get the latest royal stories and analysis every week with our Royal Watch newsletter. Those outside the UK can sign up here.
Trade Arabia
6 hours ago
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Bahrain Airport Services honours over 160 top employees
Bahrain Airport Services recently celebrated the dedication and long-standing commitment of over 160 of its staff members at the Annual Employee Long Service Award Ceremony held in the kingdom. The event, held at the Mövenpick Hotel Bahrain, was organised to honour employees who had completed 10 to 35 years of service at the organization, demonstrating exceptional loyalty and professionalism in their work, said a statement from BAS. It was attended by BAS Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Mohamed Khalil Ahmed, along with members of its trade union. This annual initiative reflects BAS's continued commitment to cultivating a culture of recognition, gratitude, and long-term employee engagement, while celebrating the strong relationships built across decades of service, it stated. Speaking on the occasion, Khalil Ahmed said: "We are proud to recognise our long-serving team members whose dedication has been instrumental to the company's progress and achievements." "Their steadfast loyalty and contributions reflect the core values that define BAS," he stated. Lauding the employees for their exceptional service, Khalil Ahmed said: "BAS remains committed to empowering its people through ongoing development and engagement programmes, recognising that a motivated and capable workforce is an essential driver of innovation, operational excellence, and sustainable success."
The Sun
8 hours ago
- Business
- The Sun
From a fragment of Christ's cross to Blue Peter badge, bizarre gifts from around the world given to King Charles
THE King was given a Rolls-Royce and a pair of his 'n' hers walking boots among hundreds of Coronation gifts, it has been revealed. Buckingham Palace published a list of official gifts to the Royal Family for the first time in five years. 8 8 8 His Majesty received 268 presents in 2023 — his Coronation year — including a Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II from the King of Bahrain, worth at least £355,000. Palace sources say the car is among the royal state fleet of vehicles and not being used for Charles's personal travel. President Katalin Novak of Hungary gave the King and Queen two pairs of boots featuring their royal cyphers. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky presented the King with a framed mosaic, scroll and signed ship's flag during their audience at Buckingham Palace And Pope Francis gave him a piece of the True Cross, believed to be part of the one Jesus Christ was crucified on. On a State Visit to Germany in 2022, animal-lover Charles received a wooden insect hotel and Beethoven CD, from President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. A bottle of gin made in Uganda was presented by its High Commission. The Governor of Tasmania offered up more gin and jars of honey. Fragrance retailer J Floris of Piccadilly made the royal couple personalised scents called Charles R and Camilla R. The King also received a gold Blue Peter badge in 2023 to reward his environmental work and support for youngsters. The Queen was awarded one for her work with literacy The late Queen Elizabeth II received 65 presents during her Platinum Jubilee year in 2022. The Enchanting Jewels of Princess Diana: A Royal Legacy Unveiled The Army gave Her Late Majesty, who was by this stage suffering mobility problems, a mottled hazel walking cane. Her final gift was a stained-glass panel to commemorate her 70th year as monarch, received on September 5th — just three days before she died. Several royals were given biscuits. At the height of Covid pandemic in 2020, Princess Anne was sent hand sanitiser. Prince Edward and wife Sophie also received a Lagos version of Monopoly on their Royal tour of Nigeria in 2020. An insider said: 'Gifts, where they can be, become part of the Royal Collection, where the whole nation can enjoy them.' 8
