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UNESCO adds 13 cultural sites to its World Heritage List

The Chinese news agency reported that the The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Tuesday added 13 cultural sites in Asia, Africa, Arab Region, Latin America and Europe to its World Heritage List and one extension to an existing cultural site in Mexico.
Among the additions, the ancient city of Dholavira, the southern center of the Harappan Civilization in India that flourished between 3000 and 1500 BCE (Before the Common Era), is one of the best preserved urban settlements from the period in Southeast Asia, UNESCO said in a press release.
The prehistoric Jomon Era archeological sites in northern Japan bear a unique testimony to the development over some 10,000 years of the pre-agricultural yet sedentary Jomon culture and its complex spiritual belief system and rituals, read the press release.
Eight Sudanese-style mosques in northern Cote d'Ivoire preserve an architectural style thought to have originated around the 14th century in part of the Empire of Mali, which from the 16th century spread south from the desert regions into the Sudanese savannah.
"They present highly important testimonies to the trans-Saharan trade that facilitated the expansion of Islam and Islamic culture and reflect a fusion of Islamic and local architectural forms in a highly distinctive style that has persisted over time," according to the committee.
Built on three closely spaced hills in the Balqa highland of west-central Jordan, the city of As-Salt was an important trading link between the eastern desert and the west during the Ottoman period.
The remote and mountainous landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat in Iran bears testimony to the traditional culture of the Hawrami people, an agropastoral Kurdish tribe that has inhabited the region since about 3000 BCE, the committee said in the press release.
Four of the newly added World Heritage sites are located in Latin America.
The site in the Arica and Parinacota Region of Chile bears testimony to a culture of marine hunter-gatherers who resided in the region from approximately 5450 BCE to 890 BCE. Presenting the oldest known archaeological evidence of the artificial mummification of bodies, it bears a unique testimony to the complex spirituality of the Chinchorro culture, according to the committee.
The Chankillo solar observatory and ceremonial center on the north-central coast of Peru is a prehistoric site (250-200 BC). This archaeo-astronomical complex comprises a set of constructions in a desert landscape that, together with natural features, functioned as a calendrical instrument, using the Sun to define dates throughout the year.
The committee noted that the site "shows great innovation by using the solar cycle and an artificial horizon to mark the solstices, the equinoxes and every other date within the year with a precision of 1-2 days."
The Sitio Roberto Burle Marx in Brazil, developed by architect and artist Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994), which exhibits an ecological conception of form as a process, including social collaboration which is the basis for environmental and cultural preservation, is the first modern tropical garden to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The modernistic Atlantida Church complex in Uruguay was added to the list as it "provides an eminent example of the remarkable formal and spatial achievements of modern architecture in Latin America during the second part of the 20th century, embodying the search for social equality with a spare use of resources, meeting structural imperatives to great aesthetic effect."
In Europe, the Rosia Montana Mining Landscape in Romania was a site of extensive gold mining during the Roman Empire. The site demonstrates a fusion of imported Roman mining technology with locally developed techniques, unknown elsewhere from such an early era.
Mining on the site was also carried out, to a lesser extent, between medieval times and the modern era. The site was simultaneously inscribed on the List of World Heritage in Danger pending the removal of threats to its integrity posed by possible extractive activities.
Germany and the Netherlands saw 102 components from one section of the frontiers of the Roman Empire inscribed as a transnational property. Almost all of these archaeological remains are buried underground. Waterlogged deposits in the property have enabled a high degree of preservation of both structural and organic materials from the Roman periods of occupation and use.
Germany also saw the serial sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz in the Upper Rhine Valley added to the World Heritage List as they "tangibly reflect the early emergence of distinctive Ashkenaz customs and the development and settlement pattern of the ShUM communities" and "the buildings that constitute the property served as prototypes for later Jewish community and religious buildings as well as cemeteries in Europe."
France's Mediterranean city of Nice was honored for it being the "winter resort town of the Riviera." "The diverse cultural influences of the winter residents and the desire to make the most of the climatic conditions and scenery of the place shaped the urban planning and eclectic architectural styles of those areas, contributing to the city's renown as a cosmopolitan winter resort," said the committee.
These additions were made during the extended 44th session of the World Heritage Committee held online and chaired from Fuzhou, China, which is examining nominations from both 2020 and 2021.
The session also extended an existing cultural site in Mexico, adding elements to the "earliest 16th century monasteries on the slopes of Popocatepetl" inscribed in 1994. The ensemble is part of the first construction program for the evangelization and colonization of the northern territories of Mexico.
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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