Contemporary Issues in Hospitality: New culture authority formed; A prediction came true

By: Hussain Sharakhi

I have been discussing cultural and social elements that influence politicians and lawmakers into forming laws and regulations, which eventually affect the Hospitality Industry. Bahrain being one open and welcoming society on the one hand has led to an open culture and diverse workforce in the country. On the other hand, conservatives from different political parties have been continuously criticising the government for many activities that were either conducted by the Ministry of Culture or approved by the directorate of Tourism under the same ministry. These activities include the well-known Spring of Culture, an annual event were international concerts and gatherings are held in historical places of the country. They have been accepted and openly welcomed by a certain percentage of the population however Salafi members of the Parliament opposed the events and protested against them and in one of the incidents their supporters were about to clash with the Police in order to stop a cultural event in the island of Muharraq [1]. In a parliamentary discussion, the minister of culture was accused of going against the original culture of the country and was asked impolitely to leave the venue, an action that was responded by the minister with five words "there are no men here" [2]. After this discussion in 2012, the minister was never seen in the parliament again. This indicated an underlying conflict that shapes the future of this industry in Bahrain, therefore I had a prediction that the government will minimise or eliminate the effects soon.

In 2014, there was another parliamentary election, and with another election, a new cabinet is formed; some ministers go and new ones are appointed. The minister of culture, Mai Alkhalifa, was surprisingly not appointed in the cabinet, although she has given so much to the Culture and Tourism industry. During her time in office, Bahrain Fort was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list [3], moreover, she initiated the Pearl Road which again was included in the UNESCO list [4] for reviving a traditional trade. Among many achievements, she was awarded with the golden lion in the Venice Bienalle for the humble yet compelling response to the theme 'People Meet in Architecture' where local fishermen huts were showcased as the country's simple architectural methodology supporting the theme. Last but not least, she has converted historic houses of famous families in the 2 main cities to cultural museums and centres, including her grandfather's house [6]. Therefore, it was a surprise to many concerned individuals not to see this person dropped and her ministry cancelled. [7]

On Tuesday 3rd February 2015, my prediction to students came true; a decree was issues by the deputy king for the formation of the Authority of Culture and Antiquities [8], a smart move by the government to hinder social impacts of the conservative and fundamental parties on the development of the cultural sector. This way, Mai Alkhalifa who used to be the minister of culture, is the president of the new authority. She will have the same power but will not be accountable to the Parliament, consequently her ideas are expected to be rapidly refurbished into projects in the near future.