In line with His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's directives, President of the Information Affairs Authority (IAA) Shaikh Fawaz bin Mohammed Al Khalifa inaugurated here today the Bahrain Press Club. On the occasion, Shaikh Fawaz said that the club, whose launch coincides with the kingdom's celebration of the World Press Freedom Day and the choice of Manama as "Capital of Arab Press in 2012", will make a quantum leap in the country's media sector and serve as a vital and rich source of news about Bahrain. He also asserted that the club will support and develop local and regional media through hosting training workshops and forums in which renowned media experts tackle media issues and address them, adding that it will provide all kinds of support for public and private media and press establishments, including hi-tech equipment, in order to help them carry out their noble mission and upgrade the media industry in general. IAA President also lauded the "unique" achievements of the Bahraini Media during HM King Hamad's prosperous era and his government, which, he said, has projected a bright image of the kingdom, noting that the freedom enjoyed by Bahraini media is the fruitful result of the constant support of the wise leadership for journalists and media persons, out of the kingdom's "full commitment" to protecting freedom of expression and promoting free and independent media. He also hailed the support of the Executive and Legislative branches for the media sector, wishing the Club's officials every success in assuming their national duties. The Bahrain Media Club, established under an Edict by IAA President, will collect breaking and accurate news about Bahrain and disseminate it to the whole world and enhance communication between journalists and media persons, which will consolidate partnership between the private and public sectors.