Modern Bahraini art emerged in the 1950s with establishment of the Arts and Literature Club, a cultural organization that served as a home artists to gather, share their work, and discuss the development a uniquely Bahrain art movement. Significant artists soon emerged whose legacies have influenced not only the Middle East but made important contributions to the art communities globally.

Today the breadth of Bahraini modern art can be seen in the Sea of Life: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Kingdom of Bahrain. Ambassador Abdulla R Al Khalifa sat down with Lyne Sneige, a co-curator of the exhibit at the Middle East Institute. Their fascinating conversation ranged over the evolution of Bahraini art and discussed the contributions of founding artists of the modern Bahraini art to new emerging forces of modern art, such as Mariam Alnoami, Ghada Khunji, and Mashael Alsaie. 

See the exhibit: https://mei.edu/exhibition/sea-of-life

Ambassador of Bahrain to the United States of America Abdulla R Al Khalifa chats with Heidi Kuhn, founder of non-profit Roots of Peace. Mrs. Kuhn is a humanitarian and peace activist who has spent more than 25 years restoring agriculture in former conflict zones. She was recently named as the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate for her farmer-focused development model that revitalizes farmland, food security, livelihoods and resilience after devastating conflict. 

Shelli Brunswick is the chief operating officer of Space Foundation based in Colorado Springs. The Space Foundation is a nonprofit founded 40 years ago as a gateway to education, information, and collaboration for space exploration. The Ambassador had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Brunswick earlier this year while in Colorado. He was so impressed by her take on space exploration in the future, particularly on educational programs, that he had to have her on the podcast. 
Bahraini Space Camp alumni Naser Alqooti and Maryam Alawadi join as well to share their first-hand experience. 

Ms. Dona Murad is the owner and “Coffee Queen” of Librae Bakery in Manhattan’s East Village. Librae is a Third Culture Bakery influenced by flavors from the Middle East using fermentation techniques from Copenhagen. Librae Bakery is the first bakery in New York owned by a Bahraini woman. 

Ambassador Abdullah Al Khalifa sits down with Dan Shapiro, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel from 2011 to 2017. He was nominated to that post by President Obama and was sworn in by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He has deep experience in foreign policy, especially in the Middle East. He offers his expertise on the current state of affairs in the region.

Founder of Digital Currency Monetary Authority (DCMA) Darrell Hubbard, joins Ambassador Abdulla R. Al Khalifa for an expert discussion of Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), the level of interest in issuing them, the technological innovations that it provides, and the effects it will have on today’s traditional banking system.

This podcast, hosted by the Ambassador of Bahrain to the U.S., features the voices and viewpoints of change-makers and thought-leaders discussing security, geopolitics, trade, science, arts, and culture in the region and beyond. Through his position, within Washington’s Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador Abdulla R. Al Khalifa provides a forum from which listeners are given a ringside seat to discussions providing a panoply of insights and perspectives.

President of Red Six International, The Atlantic Council’s Non-Resident Senior Fellow, and former Director at the White House’s National Security Council, Kirsten Fontenrose, sits down with Ambassador Abdulla R. Al Khalifa for an in-depth conversation about drones; delving into the benefits and dangers of this promising technology, citing examples affecting us today and factoring into our tomorrow.

Former head of U.S. Cyber Command, retired 4 Star General Keith Alexander, sits down with Ambassador Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid AL Khalifa for an in-depth conversation about cyber threats that we all face, from those concerning National Security to the very personal integrity of our own homes and families, as well as the role of Artificial Intelligence and its outlook for the future. 

Former Secretary of the US Navy, Richard V. Spencer joins Ambassador Sheikh Abdulla bin Rashid Al Khalifa for an expert discussion of US force posture within the Middle East, addressing recent happenings and likely forecasts that will shape US military presence and influence the behavior of regional players.