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Bahrain Information Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: ‘Al Dana Drama Award’ Boosts Gulf TV Productions

Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Bahrain Information Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: ‘Al Dana Drama Award’ Boosts Gulf TV Productions

Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Bahrain’s Information Minister, Dr. Ramzan bin Abdullah Al-Noaimi, said the “Al Dana Drama Award” award, the Gulf’s first for TV series, aims to support Gulf artists and creators.

He added that the Gulf Radio and Television Festival, where the award is presented, boosts Gulf cinema and drama as platforms for cultural understanding.

Al-Noaimi explained in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat that artists themselves oversee their work, stating that Gulf information ministries don't control creativity.

The winners of the Al Dana Drama Award will be honored at the opening of the 16th Gulf Radio and Television Festival in Bahrain later this month.

“The award has emerged to boost Gulf drama production, uniting countries with strong ties and a shared goal of supporting artists,” affirmed Al-Noaimi.

“It aims to motivate writers, directors, actors, and composers through healthy competition, recognizing their hard work and emotional impact,” the minister added.

Under the patronage of Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS), Chairman of the General Sports Authority (GSA), and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC), this award provides a significant incentive for talented individuals in radio and TV to participate.

With ten diverse categories and awards for actors, composers, scripts, and directors, Al Dana Drama Award offers ample opportunities for recognition.

“In the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), we have a special history of working together in media and the arts,” said Al-Noaimi.

“It all started with the Joint Program Production Institution back in the mid-1970s. This institution played a crucial role in shaping Gulf cooperation in media and the arts,” he added.

The debut of the award has sparked considerable interest, with over 70 diverse Gulf and Arab TV series submitted for consideration.

This highlights its importance in shaping the future of Arab and Gulf drama, encouraging artists to strive for excellence.

Positioned as a major milestone, Al Dana Drama Award enriches competition among Gulf and Arab artists, thanks to the Gulf Radio and Television Festival, a leading platform in the region’s artistic scene.

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Australia Bans Uranium Mining at Indigenous Site

A view shows a sign at the Energy Resources Australia (ERA) Ranger Project Area in Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Northern Territory, Australia, July 11, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows a sign at the Energy Resources Australia (ERA) Ranger Project Area in Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Northern Territory, Australia, July 11, 2024. (Reuters)
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Australia Bans Uranium Mining at Indigenous Site

A view shows a sign at the Energy Resources Australia (ERA) Ranger Project Area in Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Northern Territory, Australia, July 11, 2024. (Reuters)
A view shows a sign at the Energy Resources Australia (ERA) Ranger Project Area in Kakadu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Northern Territory, Australia, July 11, 2024. (Reuters)

Australia moved Saturday to ban mining at one of the world's largest high-grade uranium deposits, highlighting the site's "enduring connection" to Indigenous Australians.

The Jabiluka deposit in northern Australia is surrounded by the heritage-listed Kakadu national park, a tropical expanse of gorges and waterfalls featured in the first "Crocodile Dundee" film.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the national park would be extended to include the Jabiluka site -- which has never been mined -- honoring the decades-long desires of the Mirrar people.

"They were seeking a guarantee that there would never be uranium mining on their land," Albanese told a crowd of Labor Party supporters in Sydney.

"This means there will never be mining at Jabiluka," he added.

Archaeologists discovered a buried trove of stone axes and tools near the Jabiluka site in 2017, which they dated at tens of thousands of years old.

The find was "proof of the extraordinary and enduring connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have had with our land", Albanese said.

"The Mirrar people have loved and cared for their land for more than 60,000 years.

"That beautiful part of Australia is home to some of the oldest rock art in the world," he added.

Discovered in the early 1970s, efforts to exploit the Jabiluka deposit have for decades been tied-up in legal wrangling between Indigenous custodians and mining companies.

It is one of the world's largest unexploited high-grade uranium deposits, according to the World Nuclear Association.

Rio Tinto-controlled company Energy Resources of Australia previously held mining leases at Jabiluka.

The conservation of Indigenous sites has come under intense scrutiny in Australia after mining company Rio Tinto blew up the 46,000-year-old Juukan Gorge rock shelters in 2020.

Australia's conservative opposition has vowed to build nuclear power plants across the country if it wins the next election, overturning a 26-year nuclear ban.