February 2005

24/02/2005
Time for the hare to wake up and win Gulf race!
Vol XXVII NO. 341 Thursday 24 February 2005

By Amira Al Hussaini


I am green with envy every time I fly back to Bahrain after a few days in one of the neighbouring Gulf states and I really don't know why.

As a Bahraini, I should be proud of the developments and huge leaps forward being taken by the likes of Dubai and Doha, which is following close at its heels and not the miserable melancholy soul I am as the plane circles to land on the dusty tarmac of our only runway at Bahrain International Airport.

I should be proud to recall that what was sand and desert a few years ago in our neighbouring countries is skyscrapers and multi-faceted glass and concrete buildings and breath-taking world-class resorts today - which testify to the burgeoning trade and forward thinking that is embracing the future and its challenges at full speed.

Why am I so envious? Is it in keeping with the Arab mentality that makes us jealous of our neighbours' successes and excesses and happy for any of their shortcomings, in the hope that we may one day beat them to the finishing line?

This reminds me of the story of the hare and the tortoise. Do you remember it? Well, let me entertain you with its Gulf version.

Bahrain has always been ahead of the times, the pioneer in introducing education, democracy, empowering women, building a modern infrastructure and diversifying its economy, to name a few.

It has been the heart of the region, its commercial and banking hub, its transit port and was the first Gulf country where oil was discovered.

It was the first in this and the first in that.

Then, like in the fable, the hare looked behind and saw the slow and sluggish tortoise trying hard to cross the start line.

As in the fable, the hare decided to go for a nap.

Just like in the fable, the hare wakes up to see the tortoise sweating its way to the finish line.

But not like in the fable, just as we thought that the era of discoveries was over, the hare springs into action and pulls a trick from the hat - we now have another first to gloat about until the end of time.

After all, like it or hate it, we were the first country in the Middle East to successfully attract and host a Grand Prix.

Cheers hare. I knew you would make a comeback!



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21/02/2005
Real issues sidelined by useless debates
Vol XXVII NO. 338 Monday 21 February 2005

BY AMIRA AL HUSSAINI

Every Bahraini is a patriot. But not everyone is able to express himself or his love for his country the way he wants. Words and ideas may be taken out of context, sending wrong signals and bringing wrath upon the messenger.

Criticising something doesn't necessarily mean that a person is against it, but singing laurels doesn't spell out submission to it either.

I am not trying to be philosophical and I won't attempt to. The bottom-line is that I can't.

The squabbling of two Shura Council members over whether to thank the leadership or not over reforms ushered in by the National Action Charter, on its fourth anniversary, rang serious alarm bells.

What a waste of time and resources, I thought to myself.

While it will cost Bahrain BD6.6 million to build a complete settlement and put roofs over the heads of 154 families in the area south-east of the Riffa Fort, it is costing the nation BD8.75m to sustain the Shura Council for this year and next.

Multiply this figure by two and add another BD200,000 annually for parliament and its staff and you get a rough estimate of the two-year budget for the National Assembly.

Altogether, our National Assembly costs us in excess of BD18m every two years - a sizeable amount considering the country's meagre resources and the fact that more than 30,000 Bahraini families are on a waiting list for government housing and thousands of people are unemployed.

And what has the National Assembly achieved so far?

By next year's parliamentary elections, the combined assembly will have cost at least BD36m over its four-year term.

It has scared away some investors, who won't spend money in a country which bans television shows and where there are riots to stop music concerts; dashed the hopes of people by first promising everyone a BD1,000 bonus and then reducing it to BD500 for each family and finally to a pathetic BD200 for public sector employees only - and putting conditions on that too!

Green with envy, fresh back from Dubai, I was consumed in deep thought on what it is exactly that has us going around in circles, while the rest of the region is blossoming and developing at breakneck speed.

Dubai has never ceased to amaze me and the visionary ideas which come to life every day, thanks to the support of its leadership and the genuine interest of local businessmen, have created a true oasis in the desert.

Bahrain was the pioneer in the region, whose achievements were built on a solid ground, by the sweat and dedication of its own people.

It is a shame to have lost this edge, thanks to wise men too busy thanking each other.

Would women fare better in an elected parliament?

Let's wait and see.



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18/02/2005
Confusion again over holidays...
Vol XXVII NO. 335 Friday 18 February 2005

BY AMIRA AL HUSSAINI

Here we go again! History repeats itself so often in Bahrain. The monotony of the situation is exasperating, to say the least.

Every time a public holiday is announced, we are inundated with telephone calls.

"When is the holiday?" and "How many days for the private sector?" ask callers.

On Wednesday, the government announced that Ashoora would be marked by a three-day holiday, from today until Sunday, with civil servants going back to work on Monday.

What about the private sector ? Do they get the normal two-day holiday? Shall we make that three?

This is causing total confusion with everyone picking up the phone to call the GDN and ask when the holiday for the private sector is.

Well, we don't have a magic answer. The Labour Ministry is not available for a comment and every time the Chamber of Commerce and Industry issues a circular regarding holidays, it specifically says that the holiday announcement is for itself, meaning the private sector may follow suit, if they choose.

The last two Eid holidays caused real confusion, with many people still in limbo as to whether the holidays should have applied to public or private sectors or both.

To mark Eid Al Adha, the chamber jumped the gun and announced that the holiday would begin on Thursday and continue until Sunday - giving private sector workers a total of FOUR days off.

The following day the government announced that the Eid Al Adha holiday would begin on Wednesday and continue until Monday - giving civil servants SIX days off.

Traditionally, Bahrain has always marked the Eid with a three-day holiday. If the holiday period fell on Friday, then we were compensated by an extra day, making the holiday a total of FOUR days.

Now, the government sector must compensate its workers for Thursday - another brilliant idea from our elected parliament.

With more occasions, celebrations and the deaths of national leaders, come more days off.

The real problem here is lack of communication. Why can't the government and private sectors agree upon holidays and decide which days are public ones and which are not.

Surely, some prior announcement would give people - both government and private sector workers - the chance to plan better.

I fully understand that Eid and Ashoora are dictated by a Lunar calendar and depend on moon sightings but come on, they fall within a limited period of time.

The holiday could be announced in advance, provided it embraced the actual Eid day, or whatever occasion it may be.

We surely don't need magicians to come up with such a simple solution.

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