Bahrain | Painting of the Diwan Fort, 2014

Gift from Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior of Bahrain, to the Government of the United States, 2014

Country: Kingdom of Bahrain
Object: Painting of the Diwan Fort
Giver: Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior
Recipient: Government of the United States
Date: 2014
Subject: The Diwan Fort as it appeared in the 1930s
Documentation: Recorded in the United States’ official foreign gifts records

About the gift: The painting depicts Bahrain’s Diwan Fort as it appeared during the 1930s. Historically associated with government and administration, the fort represents more than an architectural landmark. Its historical setting also recalls a period of major change. Bahrain discovered oil in 1932, becoming the first Gulf state to do so, as its relationship with the United States began to develop through energy and regional cooperation. Presented by Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, the painting connects diplomatic exchange with the country’s institutional history and the beginnings of the modern Bahraini state.

The Diwan Fort in Bahrain, the subject of the painting presented to the United States in 2014.