The Supreme Council for Women (SCW) announced the launch of the fourth edition of the Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa Award for Voluntary Youth Work. The award was established under Royal Order (15) of 2011 in honour of the late Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Salman Al Khalifa’s contributions to charitable, voluntary, and social work.
Her Highness Shaikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, SCW member and Chairperson of the Award Committee, emphasised that the award is held under the patronage and with the support of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Consort of His Majesty the King and SCW President. She said the award seeks to promote the culture of volunteerism among youth, highlight its national and humanitarian value, encourage participation of both male and female youth in voluntary projects, foster fair competition, and showcase innovative youth led initiatives that serve the community.
She noted that the growing number of participants across previous editions reflects increasing awareness among young people of the importance of voluntary work as a key driver of nation-building. With the launch of the fourth edition, she expressed hope for further growth in both quantity and quality of participation, with new initiatives that translate volunteerism into tangible developmental projects.
Her Highness expressed appreciation to partners from the public and private sectors and civil society organisations for their role in supporting the award, developing its projects, and nurturing voluntary community initiatives. She also extended an open invitation to Bahraini youth to take part, present their innovative ideas, and share inspiring success stories in volunteerism, making them ambassadors of voluntary work and contributors to Bahrain’s future.
The award is one of SCW’s key initiatives to encourage Bahraini youth to take the lead in volunteering, innovation, and preserving the values of solidarity, cooperation, and altruism within society.
Cash prizes are offered for the best initiatives, with BHD 10,000 and BHD 6,000 awarded to the first and second place winners in the individual category, and BHD 14,000 and BHD 10,000 for the first and second place winners in the group category.
Eligibility requires applicants to be Bahraini nationals aged between 18 and 35, with initiatives carried out under a legal framework through recognised civil society organisations or state institutions.