On Wednesday, I visited the old fort and archaelogical site at Dilmun. There are several layers of history, the earliest going back more than 2000 years before Christ. Because of its strategic location, Bahrain has been a centre of trade over the centuries. It is blessed with fresh water springs, some spouting out from the seabed. A natural opening through the coral reef enabled ships to come close. Dilmun is now a World Heritage Site.
At the Foreign Ministers' Meeting, I made the point that ASEAN and GCC countries were linked by the maritime silk road. The sea was the original internet. Once one reached the sea, one could sail to the farthest shores. Hence ports and portals. Like TCP/IP, those who trade must accept certain protocols - common standards, open connections, protection of property. Trading posts are like servers.
Bahrain and Singapore are both important nodes in the global trading network. We are islands of about the same size, linked by causeways to the mainland. Not surprisingly, we share similar attitudes and worldviews. Our political relations are problem-free. Our economic relations are growing nicely. A number of Bahraini banks have set up shop in Singapore. We have a few major investments in Bahrain including real estate and aircraft maintenance. I was hosted to a dinner at a new new-age Japanese restaurant called Bushido. The executive chef is TK Chong, a Singaporean, whom I have met many times before at Santoro Japanese Restaurant.
George Yeo
At the bay
Excavation works in progress
View of excavation site from the port
Under the archway
The Fort
Viewing write-up of Qalat Al Bahrain
Viewing of Dilmun stamp seals
Graphical display of trading routes
Replica of a Dilmun ship
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