Bahrain is studying new regulatory requirements for commercial signs as part of efforts to give shops and commercial streets a more unified, attractive and civilised appearance.
The move follows a proposal by the Muharraq Municipal Council to standardise the design and placement of commercial name signs across the kingdom.
Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture Ministry acting municipal affairs under-secretary and Southern Municipality director-general Isa Al Buainain said the Industry and Commerce Ministry is currently studying the issue as part of its review of regulations governing commercial names and signage.
Mr Al Buainain
“The Industry and Commerce Ministry is currently conducting a study on this subject within the framework of reviewing the regulatory aspects and requirements related to commercial name signs,” Mr Al Buainain said.
He said the study is being carried out in accordance with the provisions of Law No 18 of 2012 concerning Commercial Names, adding that the municipal recommendation had been referred to the relevant authorities for consideration alongside the review.
Mr Al Naar
The proposal, spearheaded by Muharraq Municipal Council chairman Abdulaziz Al Naar, calls for unified requirements for shop signs throughout Bahrain.
Mr Al Naar said the initiative is aimed at replacing the current variety of designs and installation methods with clear standards that would improve the visual character of streets and commercial areas.
“We want commercial signs to become part of the visual identity of Bahrain’s streets rather than a source of visual clutter,” Mr Al Naar said.
The proposal was prepared after examining practices in several countries, including neighbouring Saudi Arabia, and includes technical specifications and illustrative engineering drawings.
Under the proposed requirements, every external sign would have to be clearly visible and securely fixed to the shopfront.
It would also have to display the establishment’s exact trade name as registered on its Commercial Registration, with the name appearing in Arabic.
The proposal further calls for the Commercial Registration number, logo, where applicable, and contact details to be included.
The technical requirements seek to regulate not only what appears on a sign, but also where and how it is installed.
Signs would have to be positioned on the storefront in the space between the ground and first floors, with signs on upper floors prohibited.
The proposed rules also specify minimum lettering and clearance requirements, while requiring the wording to be in raised letters.
Self-illuminated signs or signs illuminated from behind the letters would be permitted.
However, vertical signs on building façades would not be allowed, and signs could not block windows, doors or other openings.
For businesses located on upper floors, the proposal calls for their names to be grouped together on one designated sign within the building, rather than allowing multiple individual signs to be scattered across the façade.
The proposal would still allow businesses seeking distinctive designs to apply for approval.
Where a proposed sign differs from the standard requirements, the design could be submitted to the relevant municipality for review before being referred to the municipal council or secretariat for approval.
Mr Al Naar said the intention was not to impose a rigid one-size-fits-all approach, but to establish a common framework that protects the appearance of commercial areas while allowing businesses some room for creativity.
“We are seeking a balance between the identity and branding needs of businesses and the need to maintain an organised and attractive streetscape,” he said.
Mr Al Oud
The council’s financial, administrative and legislative committee chairman Fadhel Al Oud and members backed the proposal, describing unified signage requirements as a way of enhancing the aesthetic and civilised appearance of streets and commercial blocks.
“The proposal has now moved beyond the municipal council, with the ministry’s latest response indicating that the issue is being examined at the national regulatory level,” he explained.
“For Bahrain’s shopkeepers, the message could soon be clear: the sign above the door may need to look as good as what lies behind it.”
mohammed@gdnmedia.bh
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