Information Minister honours Saudi toastmasters world champion

Manama, Oct. 11 (BNA): Information and Parliament Affairs Minister Isa bin Abdulrahman Al-Hammadi emphasised today the key role of the youth from the GCC countries in spurring growth and development. He lauded their creativity, describing them as the cornerstone of solid transition to the GCC union. He was speaking as he honoured Saudi toastmasters world champion Mohammed Al-Qahtani, the first Arab to clinch the title in a contest organised by Toastmasters International. He praised the first-of-its-kind Arab and GCC achievement since the launch of the competition 84 years ago in the USA. The minister also thanked Bahraini Mohammed Shukri, the Head of the Organising Committee of the function held in the Bahrain Engineers Society hall, in Juffair, and the first Arab to reach the finals of the championship in the US capital, Washington, in 2006, when he clinched fourth place. The minister described the accomplishments as an assertion of the GCC leading status in toastmasters as well as cultural and academic openness. He pointed out that Manama Club is the first toastmasters club in the region which was established in 1964. Addressing a host of Bahraini and Saudi nationals, the minister affirmed that honouring outstanding youngsters and stimulating their creative and productive potentials is top priority in the reform project of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. He commended the fraternal spirit which reflects deep-rooted historic relations between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. He said bagging the international prize by a Saudi engineer is a message to the youngsters to work diligently to attain success and bring about development. Al-Qahtani thanked the minister and the Bahraini people for the warm welcome and for honouring him which, he said, reflects fraternal ties binding both countries and peoples. He described the achievement as an accomplishment for the whole Arab nation, in general, and the GCC countries, in particular. He took pride in standing out among 30,000 contestants from 100 countries before topping nine competitors in Las Vegas, Nevada, the USA, in a speech entitled "Word is Power" given in the presence of 2500 renowned figures. Al-Qahtani said he was able to win the competition despite suffering from stammer in his childhood until he was six. He called on Arab youngsters to take care of their education and click on their creativity talents and potentials so as to become key players in the development of their nations.