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A new United Nations (UN) report underscores Bahrain’s progress and commitment in tackling priority challenges, from environmental sustainability and healthcare to decent work and gender equality.
The 2025 Country Results Report highlights the collective achievements of the UN Country Team (UNCT) in the kingdom, comprising 22 agencies working across key development areas in partnership with the government.
It explains in detail the steps taken by Bahrain to meet the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the challenges that lie ahead, notably due to regional conflicts.
Bahrain government and UN officials and representatives during a recent joint steering committee meeting
“Throughout 2025, Bahrain continued to advance the goals of its Economic Vision 2030,” stated the report.
“These include a more diversified economy, stronger social equity and public services, and deeper partnerships in regional and global affairs.
“Non-oil sectors drove growth, with strong performance in financial services, information and communications, and logistics.
“Youth unemployment and the full integration of women into the private-sector workforce remained priority challenges, as did the work of diversifying government revenue away from hydrocarbon dependency and ensuring fiscal sustainability.”
The SDGs comprise a set of 17 goals, 169 targets and 248 indicators, covering areas such as the eradication of poverty, hunger and gender discrimination, while also promoting affordable and clean energy, climate action and quality education. All UN member-states agreed in 2015 to work towards achieving the goals by 2030.
The document praises Bahrain for making its presence felt on the world stage after its election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2026-2027 term and its assumption of the chairmanship of the GCC Supreme Council last year.
“These achievements reflect Bahrain’s active diplomacy and its commitment to international peace and security,” added the report.
A landmark development documented in the dossier was the first full-year of implementation of the new Sustainable Development Co-operation Framework between Bahrain and the UN, signed in 2024.
The framework, which covers the period from 2025 to 2029, focuses on four strategic areas outlined in different chapters of the report: People, Prosperity, Peace and the Planet.
A breakdown of the budget used in Bahrain for the four different parameters covered in the report
The report breaks down the UNCT’s budget requirement for implementing various programmes, projects and campaigns, amounting to more than $13.8 million of which only around $6m was spent. Bahrain’s government spending, as stated in the report, was around $1.2m, while the private sector contributed more than $950,000 in aid, and the UN core funding from its own budget exceeded $2.1m.
Estimated budget of different UN agencies in Bahrain
The top three goals for which funds were used were – Decent Jobs and Economic Growth (SDG- 8), Climate action (SDG-13) and Good Health and Well Being (SDG-3).
Key achievements
1. Supported the awarding of Healthy Cities status to two governorates last year – Muharraq and the Southern Governorate – and the designation of two universities as Health-Promoting Universities, bringing the total to eight.
2. Trained 95 people in suicide intervention to support migrant workers and ran orientation programmes for 296 household employers and 42 domestic workers.
3. Supported two editions of schools’ Olympiad, with 781 students from 79 schools taking part and 164 projects submitted.
4. Laid the groundwork for a data-driven fisheries management system and contributed to Bahrain’s national food security strategy.
5. Supported the phase-out of 41.09 Ozone-Depleting Potential (ODP) tonnes of Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), meeting Bahrain’s 2025 Montreal Protocol target, and supported the development of a plan targeting their full phase-out by 2030.
6. Worked on a national Water Audit, Water Efficiency and Reuse Guidelines, and a public awareness campaign that reached nearly one million people. Evaluation results showed that 80-85 per cent of respondents identified water conservation and reuse messages as most influential, and 65pc expressed willingness to adopt water-saving practices.
7. Supported the creation of a Handbook on Urban Trees and Shrubs, trained municipal personnel in urban forestry, and continued the Buthoor Al Bahrain afforestation campaign.
8. The UN supported Bahrain last year by facilitating the participation of a Bahraini specialist in a Regional Training of Trainers on Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) in Cairo – equipping her with the knowledge and practical tools needed to prevent, identify, and respond to digital violence, while enabling a sustainable and culturally sensitive approach to addressing the issue at the national level.
9. A programme on women in technology over five years supported more than 50 women-led startups and distributed more than $305,000 in prize funding to 19 ventures.
10. Bahrain last year completed its latest Sendai Framework Monitor (SFM) reporting, noting that multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) covered 90pc of the population – a strong indicator of national preparedness. The kingdom also contributed to the launch of the first State of the Climate Report for the Arab Region, which establishes a regional baseline for climate monitoring and policy action.
The report acknowledged the increasingly complex regional environment and underscored the importance of international partnerships in addressing development challenges.
It stated that these conflict-related challenges had created waves of uncertainty across the Gulf and affected trade, markets and the migrant workers who are integral to Bahrain’s economy.
“The United Nations worked closely with the government to maintain operational continuity and protect both United Nations personnel and the programmes serving vulnerable populations,” added the report.
Mr El Mekwad, second from right, during a cake-cutting ceremony alongside officials and diplomats last year to mark UN Day and the 80th anniversary of the UN
For his part, UN resident co-ordinator in Bahrain Khaled El Mekwad stated in the report that the work ahead is not easy as Bahrain and the wider region ‘face serious challenges’.
“As this report was finalised, the regional security environment has deteriorated dramatically, with potential consequences for trade, migration, and development that cannot yet be fully assessed,” he added.
“In such moments, the partnership between Bahrain and the United Nations matters more than ever. Whatever lies ahead, the United Nations remains fully committed to the people of Bahrain.”
sandy@gdnmedia.bh
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