Under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) held a ceremony to honour senior officers with the Order of Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of second and third classes, and the Order of Bahrain of first and second classes.

HM King Hamad deputised Field Marshal Shaikh Khalifa bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Commander-in-Chief of the BDF, to honour the officers, coinciding with the celebration of the 56th anniversary of the establishment of BDF.

Lieutenant General Abdullah bin Hassan Al Noaimi, Defence Affairs Minister, and Lieutenant General Theyab bin Saqr Al Nuaimi, BDF Chief of Staff, attended the ceremony, Bahrain News Agency (BNA) reported.

The Commander-in-Chief presented the decorations awarded by HM the King, and medals of appreciation to a number of BDF senior officers.

He conveyed the greetings and congratulations of His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, and Prime Minister, to those deserving of the orders and medals.

The Commander-in-Chief expressed his pride in the honoured BDF men for their efforts and dedication to serving the nation and its development.

He said that the BDF had national competencies that are qualified in various specialisations and fields, and directed all commanders of units and directorates of the BDF to continually motivate their staff through recognising them periodically in appreciation of their efforts, roles and performance.

The Commander-in-Chief indicated that the BDF has made continuous development strides since its establishment, under the leadership and support of HM the King, and the constant follow-up of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The Commander-in-Chief recounted the sacrifices of the fallen servicemen, praising their courage and bravery.