The IDP (Dhiyafa) program was the winner of the 2018 Government Competition (Fikra), which is an initiative by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) which is aimed at strengthening Bahrain’s bilateral relations with the countries which are participants of the program.
IDP aims for its participants to understand the rich history and culture of the Kingdom of Bahrain, it is also a platform for the exchange of ideas and building connections with diplomats of various backgrounds.
The program covers a spectrum of activities ranging from lectures and interactive sessions with former Bahraini diplomats, high level officials within the Bahraini government, the private sector and within civil – society.
The participants of the IDP get the opportunity to visit political and economic institutions as well as cultural landmarks as well as experiencing Bahraini music, culinary arts and cultural entertainment.
Participants
Ms. Marine Longtin
Kingdom of Belgium
Marine Longtin is a Belgian diplomat who is a Desk Officer for the Arabian Peninsula of the Middle East and North Africa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Belgium. She received her bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences in 2015 from the University of Liege and her master’s degree in International Relations in 2017 from the University of Brussels. She speaks French, English, and Dutch.
Mr. Abdurahman Husić
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Abdurahman Husić is from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has spent long periods of his life in the Middle East working at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Riyadh, where he dealt with all kinds of diplomatic and consular issues.
Mr. Hamad Mota Kalaf
Federative Republic of Brazil
Hamad Mota Kalaf studied Law at University of São Paulo and considers his studies as a very important step in his journey to becoming a diplomat. He joined the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federative Republic of Brazil in 2016. He has been responsible for GCC Affairs after completing a course at the Brazilian Diplomatic Academy, Instituto Rio Branco, in 2017.
Mr. Zhang Feng
People’s Republic of China
Ms. Yasmine Samy Swilam
Arab Republic of Egypt
Yasmine Samy Swilam joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2012 where she currently works at the Arab Affairs Department. She previously served as Vice Consul at the Egyptian consulate in Mumbai, where she was responsible for a number of political, economic, consular, and administrative tasks. She is interested in youth empowerment, women empowerment and dialogue of cultures.
Mr. Ahmad Ghaleb Al Dmour
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
Ahmad has been a diplomat since 2013 and has just returned to Amman after completing his first four years posting to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he was, inter alia, a file holder of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and he was following up on consular affairs in addition to other administrative tasks. He holds a master’s degree in Human Rights and Human Development, and a bachelor’s degree in languages. Ahmed’s professional interests include political islamic groups, public diplomacy, and political reform.
Mrs. Nur Hafizah Binti Amin
Malaysia
Nur Hafizah Binti Amin is an Assistant Secretary in the Department of Bilateral Affairs - West Asian Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia. She is responsible for all bilateral concerns with regards to Malaysia’s relationship with Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Mara University of Technology, Malaysia.
Mr. Héctor Alcántara Palacios
United Mexican States
Héctor Alcántara Palacios currently serves as the Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Mexico in Lebanon. Previously, he was posted to Germany, as Economic Attaché. He also worked at the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ headquarters, where he served in the Minister’s cabinet. Prior to becoming a diplomat, he was a United Nations Officer, serving at the Universal Postal Union in Switzerland.
Mr. Davorin Durović
Montenegro
Davorin Durović is an aspiring young diplomat taking his first steps into his professional career. He is currently working in the Directorate for Middle East and Asia at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro.
Mr. Said bin Mohammed Al Amri
Sultanate of Oman
Said bin Mohammed Al Amri is an Omani diplomat who holds a bachelor’s degree in Law from the University of Beirut, Lebanon. He is responsible for following up on the political issues in the Middle East, organizing bilateral meetings and following up on the implementation of agreements and memorandums of understanding.
Ms. Tuba Asif
Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Tuba currently works as an Assistant Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. Her work at the Ministry focuses on Pakistan’s political relationships and strategic correspondence with Gulf countries as well as the affairs of the Pakistani diaspora in the region. She loves to travel, visit new places, and meet new people from various backgrounds. She holds a bachelor’s in the Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Peshawar.
Ms. Monica Remsy Calañgian
Republic of the Philippines
Monica Remsy Calañgian is a Philippine diplomat who joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in May 2017. After graduating from the Foreign Service Officers Cadetship Course, she joined the Office of the Middle East and African Affairs as Assistant Director for the Gulf States Affairs. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Monica studied in the Philippines, Austria and Germany and has an educational background in international relations, public policy and sustainable development.
Ms. Julia Fuentes Duréndez
Kingdom of Spain
Julia works as a desk officer at the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Her work involves closely following the developments of the Middle East region and the preparation of analyses on various aspects, as part of the process of shaping Spanish policy towards the region. She also focuses on issues such as water management and gender.
Mrs. Nilusha Dilmini Bandigampalage
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Nilusha works as an Assistant Director at the Middle East Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka. She joined the Sri Lanka Foreign Service in 2013 and was first attached to the Public Diplomacy Division at the Ministry. She was then posted to the Sri Lankan Consulate General in Melbourne, where served as Consul for three and a half years. At the Middle East Division, Nilusha works towards strengthening the bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and countries in the region.
Mr. Jirapon Boonpor
Kingdom of Thailand
Jirapon Boonpor is a Thai diplomat currently working at the Passport Division in the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand where he is responsible of establishing a new system for the coming phases of Thailand’s electronic passport. He has previously worked in the International Security Unit. He acquired his first degree in Middle Eastern Studies in 2015 from the University of Edinburgh, and his second degree in Modern Middle East Studies in 2017 from Leiden University.
Mr. Şifa Gökberk Kutlu
Republic of Turkey
Gökberk works as a Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, where he has served for two years. His work focuses primarily on the Middle East region, particularly Palestine. Furthermore, his department is responsible for multilateral relations in the Middle East, especially the political, legal, and cultural affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Ms. Asma Hassan Al Hammadi
United Arab Emirates
Asma Hassan Al Hammadi is currently a Desk Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), responsible for the bilateral relations between the UAE and Oman, along with the strategic dialogues of the Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Sciences from the United Arab Emirates University, UAE.
Ms. Clementine Emma Bunting
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Clementine is a British diplomat and currently works as the Desk Officer for the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Middle East and North Africa Department of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Ms. Bunting is tasked with liaising between the Embassy of Bahrain in London and the British Embassy in Manama.
