Bahrain Beat

First performed in 1851, the two-day performance by famed Italian opera and tale of love and sacrifice by Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto, began at the Bahrain National Theatre on Saturday within the Cultural Tourism segment of the year-long programme of the Capital of Arab Tourism 2013.

Considered the first of the operatic masterpieces by Verdi during the latter half of his career, this was the first Italian opera staged in the newly opened theatre.

Rigoletto is a court jester for the Duke of Mantua and is known for his mockery and unforgiving tongue, a trait which brings him many enemies who seek his downfall. When a curse befalls him, the opera reflects on love and fate.

This version of Verdi’s popular opera is directed by Maria Cristina Mazzavillani, the founder and director of Italy’s Ravenna Festival (which she established in 1990).

This summer festival of opera and classical music, dance and exhibitions, is held in the city of Ravenna every year and is designed to raise the profile of music and art within one of Italy’s most distinctive architectural monuments.

Gulf Air 
announces 
restructuring strategy

National carrier Gulf Air’s management announced last week the airline’s restricting strategy that aims at strengthening the national carrier’s core services by optimising its fleet and network, streamlining its organisational structure and re-engineering its internal processes to transform the airline into a more dynamic and efficient national carrier that will continue to serve the Kingdom of Bahrain and its customers.

Towards achieving this goal the strategy aggressively addresses minimising losses, increasing revenue, achieving cost savings and reinforcing the airline’s position as a key national infrastructure asset, while ensuring it remains to be the region’s most family and business friendly airline.

The restructuring plan will be implemented progressively in the next few weeks in a fair and transparent manner with Gulf Air continuing to be a key Bahraini employer committed to developing a national workforce of aviation professionals. A successful transition will result in a company with a sustainable long-term future and better opportunities for all employees.

First-semester exams proceed as per schedule, says Minister of Education

Minister of Education, Dr Majid bin Ali Al Nu’aimi, emphasised that the first-semester examinations proceeded smoothly as per their schedule, adding that the ministry is keen on providing optimum means and potentials to ensure successful conducting of the examinations under appropriate educational atmospheres so as to make it easy for students to achieve the desired result, pointing out that the ministry has been too keen this year to reschedule examinations in order to increase the number of days of practical schooling.

This came when the minister of education paid an inspection visit to the Hafsah Ummul Momineen Primary Girls School last week during which he was assured about the workflow of examinations of the end-of-the-first semester for second stage of basic education.

The minister explained that the ministry of education looks forward to continually developing schools academic performance in terms of student results achievable in the end-of-the-first semester examinations and also the National Examinations under the supervision of the Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training (QAAET), adding that the ministry continues to deal seriously with QAAET’s reports which it considers a major part of education and training initiatives which contribute in advancement of academic standards.

The minister toured the school departments, visited examination committees of science and mathematics courses of the second stage of basic education.