Bahrain achieved a new milestone in the development of its telecommunications sector by ranking sixth globally among 159 countries in the 2026 ICT Development Index (IDI), issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Bahrain advanced three places from last year and increased its overall score to 98 per cent.
Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa said the kingdom’s advanced ranking reflects continued progress under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad and the government’s strategic direction, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to strengthen Bahrain’s position among the world’s leading countries in telecommunications and information and communications technology.
The minister noted that the achievement reflects the success of Bahrain’s national policies in developing digital infrastructure and enhancing the quality of telecommunications services through partnership with relevant entities and the efforts of national cadres.
He added that these efforts have enabled the kingdom to provide high-quality telecommunications and Internet services, increase fixed and mobile Internet subscriptions, and enhance the coverage and accessibility of digital services.
Dr Shaikh Abdulla said the results provide further motivation to strengthen Bahrain’s position as a leading regional hub for telecommunications and information and communications technology while maintaining its standing among the world’s top-performing countries in this key sector.
He added that the achievement reflects continued co-operation and co-ordination with relevant entities, particularly the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), telecom companies and BNET, contributing to the development of digital infrastructure, improved service quality, and enhanced regional and international competitiveness.
Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry’s assistant under-secretary for telecommunications Shaikh Ahmed bin Isa Al Khalifa said Bahrain scored 99.1 points in the Universal Connectivity pillar and 97 points in the Meaningful Connectivity pillar.
He added that the kingdom achieved the maximum score of 100 points in four key indicators: Internet user penetration, household Internet connectivity, mobile broadband network coverage and mobile phone ownership.
Bahrain also recorded high scores in mobile broadband subscription penetration and mobile broadband data traffic.
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