With the generous support of BBK Iqra 2, the second branch of Iqra Library located in Malkeya in the house of the former mayor of Malkeya Village was opened at an event held at the venue.
The Board of Trustees of Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center for Culture and Research and Minister of Culture Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees welcomed BBK Chief Executive, Abdulkarim Bucheery, BBK General Manager Shared Services Group Reyadh Sater along with BBK Executive Management members and the Center’s guests.
Iqra Library is one of the Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa Center’s projects that aim to cultivate the reading habit among children and broaden their horizons in the areas of knowledge and art, through books in both Arabic and English in addition to computers and special software for children.
The Iqra 2 Library comes following the success of the Iqra 1 Library opened in Muharraq in 2006 that was also set up with the BBK support. The facility will allow the organization of art exhibitions for children and educational workshops for the little ones.
The significance of the project stems from providing educational material to children in the area and maintaining the traditional Bahraini architecture of the house where it is based. The upper floor will be used as a reminder of the architectural style while the lower floor will house the library for children aged 6 to 12.
“We are always keen to support the social and cultural projects in the Kingdom and Iqra Library is just one of those important projects, which serves children and encourage them to develop an interest in reading and becoming involved with cultural activities,” Abdulkarim Bucheery, BBK Chief Executive said.
“The contribution to the setting up of Iqra 2 has come from the Bank belief in the invaluable benefits of this Library that combines the benefits of education with the knowledge of culture for the younger generation. The Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Center is reputed for its effective activities in preserving Bahraini culture and heritage. Therefore, we have been very enthusiastic about supporting this initiative to underline the Center’s ability to reach a broader base of the citizens in the Kingdom.”
“The opening of Iqra Library located in Muharraq has become a reality for us in 2006 and this could not have been possible without the generous support of BBK. The Bank now renews its support to the Center through sponsoring the second branch of the library in Malkeya. The Bank’s contribution truly reflects its vision and commitment to provide opportunities to the younger generation in Bahrain.” Her Excellency expressed her hope to expand the library concept and increase the number of branches of Iqra, hence reaching the largest number of young children throughout the Kingdom,” Shaikha Mai bint Mohammed Al Khalifa, the founder of the Center said.
This initiative is part of a series of steps through which the Centre seeks to forge partnerships between non-profit civil organizations and the private sector. BBK has been the sole sponsor of the project as part of its corporate social responsibility towards the Bahrain community.