His Highness the Deputy Amir and Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah held a function to welcome participants in the 26th Memorial Journey of Pearl Diving at Bayan Palace Wednesday.
   The ceremony was attended by Minister of Information and Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports (PAYS) Sheikh Ahmad Mansour Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
   The attendants also included PAYS Deputy Chairman Ahmad Al-Khazal, President of Kuwait Sea Sport Club (KSSC) retired major general Fahad Al-Fahd, KSSC board members and a number of Kuwaiti and Gulf boat captains and divers who partook in the journey.
   His Highness the Deputy Amir, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and President of KSSC delivered speeches on the occasion.
   Then divers displayed a number of memorial photos documenting their participation in 26th Memorial Journey of Pearl Diving. Before leaving, the attending Omani divers presented a memorial gift to His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheik Nawaf.
   The journey is organized each year by the Committee of the Marine Heritage of the Kuwait Sea Sport Club, under the Patronage of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. It was held this year from August 14 to 21.
   In his speech, His Highness the Deputy Amir underlined the importance of preserving national heritage and identity.
   He also hailed the activities and events that are meant to revive and celebrate the traditions of the ancestors who endured hardships and risked their lives to pursue a decent life through their journeys in search of pearls in the waters of the Gulf.
   His Highness Sheikh Nawaf spoke highly about youth's loyalty to their heritage and their readiness to partake in an adventure to revive it.
   He also praised youth's efforts to prove the memorial journey a real success and wished the whole team more successes in the future.
  His Highness the Deputy also conveyed to the attendants the greetings and congratulations of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
   He welcomed the participation of a number of divers from the Kingdom of Bahrain and Sultanate of Oman which embodied the depth of brotherly historic relations between the GCC countries.
  During the yearly memorial journey, young participants are reminded of the difficulties Kuwaiti sailors faced before oil had been discovered, along with the traditions their ancestors developed during these times.
   The young divers revisit the hardships faced by Kuwait's forefathers and celebrate the values instilled within them from their sacrifices. Values such as patience, cooperation, self-reliance and having faith in God that holds true to this day.
   For his part, Minister of State for Youth Affairs Sheikh Salman cheered His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Deputy's reception of the organizers and participants in the journey.
   He also expressed gratitude for Kuwaiti leadership unlimited support to the event which reminds the new generations of the hardships endured by the forefathers.
   He pointed out that the annual journey is a translation of Kuwaiti leaders' directives regarding promotion and commemoration of national and Arab Gulf heritage.
   Meanwhile, Chairman of Kuwait Sea Sport Club, the journey organizer, ret major general Fahad Al-Fahad said that the journey, thanks to the government support and youth efforts, has become a major event after its impressive success in the past years.
   He added the Club is keen on organizing and sponsoring events that help shed lights on and revive Kuwaitis' sea heritage and raise awareness about the importance of marine life and ecosystem. In this regard, he unveiled a new campaign to educate people about to preserve the Kuwait ecosystem. (end)
   ibi