The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of low lying island located in the Arabian Gulf of the eastern shore of Saudi Arabia. Frequently called the Pearl of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain has a history of more than 5,000 years of civilisation, from the mists of time to a vibrant present under a stable and prosperous government. Bahrain is the site of immortal Dilmun, religious centre to Summerians, Babylonians and Assyrians, as dramatic excavations prove. Subsequent visitors include Greeks from the time of Alexander the Great, Portuguese, Omanis and the English. Marvellous old sites and buildings compete with modern office buildings and colourful traditional markets.The climate is hot in summer and mild in winter. From November to April is very pleasant, with temperatures from 15 to 24 degrees centigrade. Temperatures are coolest between December and March when northerly winds prevail. From July to September temperatures average 36 degrees centigrade with high humidity.
Population
650604 (2001 est.)
Area
711.9 sq.km
Ethnicity/ Race
Bahraini 63%, Asian 19%, other Arab 10%, Iranian 8%
Major Languages
Arabic (official), English, Farsi and Urdu
Religion
Islam 85%, other faiths including Hinduism, Parseeism, Judaism, Buddisim and Christianity.
Capital City
Al Manamah
Major Cities
Al Muharraq
Currency
Bahraini Dinar(BD) = 1000 fils = $ 2.666 (approx.)
Gulf Air and Gulf Aviation Academy sign comprehensive training agreement
Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and Gulf Aviation Academy (GAA), the Kingdom’s only approved aviation training provider in the region, signed a comprehensive training agreement marking a major milestone in the cooperation between the two subsidiaries of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company.
In a ceremony held at Gulf Air headquarters in Muharraq, Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Samer Majali and GAA Chief Executive Officer Mr. Tim Shattock signed the agreement under which GAA will provide a wide range of training services to Gulf Air personnel - pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, cabin crew, and ground staff on its facilities.
Mr. Majali said, “This agreement further cements our cooperation with GAA with whom we have a special relationship as we both are in the same industry and belong to the same parent company.”
“GAA has very good facilities that cover most aspects of the airline operations, in addition to its Airbus simulators and soon-to-be-installed Embraer simulator. This is an advantage for Gulf Air as we operate both Airbus and Embraer fleet and will be able to get our pilots and engineers trained right here in Bahrain at the comprehensive GAA campus.”
Commented Mr. Shattock, “We are pleased to have entered into this landmark agreement with our national carrier, Gulf Air bringing us even closer in our business and cooperation.”
“GAA was born out of the need for an independent aviation training provider in the region spearheaded by Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company. Within a short span of time, GAA has won international recognition for its training standards and quality of service, having received highly-accredited approvals from the UK-CAA as well as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). We are now able to offer world-class facilities for our customers” Mr. Shattock concluded.
