Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure have emerged as new theatres for diplomacy, and Bahrain is taking a pragmatic approach, balancing engagement with both US and China – the leading state powers in the field, according to a recently published study.
The ‘Polycentric Power Plays: Gulf Agency and the Dynamics of China’s AI Diplomacy’ study in the open-access, peer-reviewed ‘Communication and the Public’ journal examines China’s AI diplomacy across all six GCC states, finding that the region is strategically using digital sovereignty and flexible alignment to maximise political autonomy amid intensifying US-China competition in AI.
“Bahrain’s engagement with China in the digital and AI domain is predominantly shaped by pragmatic considerations,” according to the authors, Emilie Tran from Hong Kong and Tariq Gulrez from Qatar.
“China’s DSR (Digital Silk Road) has been pivotal in meeting Bahrain’s infrastructure needs.”
The authors highlight that Bahrain, in 2021, became the first country in the Mena region to host Chinese multinational technology conglomerate Tencent’s hyperscale Internet data centre.
According to the report, the Tencent data centre is a ‘critical enabler of Bahrain’s expanding digital banking and virtual asset infrastructure by providing low-latency access across Mena’.
This has positioned the kingdom as a ‘regional gateway for Chinese cloud services’, especially when considered alongside the Huawei-partnered rollout of 5G, AI-ready networks, and establishment of Tier III-certified data centres with local operators like Batelco and stc Bahrain.
The report also highlights a bilateral agreement signed between Bahrain and China as the diplomatic underpinning of co-operation in the field.
On May 31, 2024, His Majesty King Hamad and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Bahrain and China, in Beijing.
The agreement focuses on strengthening co-operation in energy, investment, digital economy, and green development, while supporting Bahrain’s Economic Vision 2030 and maintaining regional stability.
In addition, the Huawei ICT Academy has introduced AI training programmes at Bahrain University.
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecution office in Bahrain reportedly has been engaging with Chinese counterparts to explore algorithmic tools for ‘prosecutorial efficiency and digital evidence management’.
However, the kingdom’s response to China’s AI diplomacy is also normatively cautious.
Its Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), enacted in 2018, is modelled on the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, reportedly the most stringent privacy and security law, explicitly securing individual rights, data transfer restrictions, and consent requirements.
Last year, as the GDN previously reported, the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) launched a national policy on the use of AI and adopted the GCC’s guiding manual on AI ethics.
“While Bahrain hosts Chinese data centres and engages in bilateral dialogues, it has not joined Beijing-led digital governance or AI standardisation initiatives and remains outside major US-led AI governance coalitions like the Global Partnership on AI and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) AI Policy Observatory,” authors added.
“Bahrain’s approach is thus best characterised as pragmatic adoption of technology without embracing Chinese governance models or narratives.”
A key reason for the integration of Chinese technology in Bahrain’s infrastructure is the ‘affordable, turnkey’ solutions offered, as well as the ability to ‘help address skill shortages in AI and immersive technologies’ using initiatives like Chinese training centres established in the kingdom.
However, in the long-term, the kingdom’s defence ties with the US could influence its technology choices, particularly in cybersecurity.
This is a key part of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA) signed by the US, Bahrain and since 2024, UK.
As part of C-SIPA, Bahrain was the first regional partner to work with the US Navy on integrating new unmanned systems and AI after the US Naval Forces Central Command established Task Force 59 in September 2021.
In 2022, Bahrain committed to partnering with regional countries and the US to build a multinational fleet of 100 unmanned surface vessels.
Last year, on the sidelines of Saudi Arabia’s Future Investment Initiative conference in Riyadh, US-based AI and quantum technology firm SandboxAQ announced a landmark agreement with the sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, to speed up drug development and build biotech assets worth $1 billion, ultimately establishing the kingdom as a ‘regional biotech hub’, according to the joint statement released at the time.
“Regional developments have also pressured Bahrain to recalibrate its digital dependencies,” the study explained.
“As neighbouring countries adopt sovereign compute models and strengthen AI regulation in line with US frameworks, Bahrain risks being left out of digital integration unless it adapts its policies. While an abrupt shift from Chinese platforms is unlikely, Bahrain is expected to gradually adopt Western-style compliance and transparency protocols within its existing infrastructure.
“Its future strategy will likely focus on maintaining Chinese systems while improving interoperability with regional frameworks influenced by US and EU standards.”
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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