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Bahrain continues to adopt advanced maritime navigation technologies as part of its strategic efforts to enhance safety and operational readiness, Transportation and Telecommunications Minister Dr Shaikh Abdulla bin Ahmed Al Khalifa has said.
He noted that a ministerial edict, amending certain provisions of an earlier one, aims to regulate the use of identification systems on small vessels with a gross tonnage of less than 150 tonnes.
The edict mandates the installation and operation of smart tracking devices, which must be directly linked to the Coastguard’s Maritime Operations Centre at the Interior Ministry.
This initiative, he said, is expected to improve maritime monitoring, accelerate emergency response times and safeguard lives and property.
Dr Shaikh Abdulla added that the new edict categorises tracking systems into two main types, one for navigating within internal waters and the territorial sea and the other for open-sea navigation within Bahraini waters.
Both types are subject to approval by the Coastguard to ensure compliance with quality and operational standards.
The minister said that owners may procure systems for internal waters from any licensed private-sector provider, facilitating access and reinforcing the private sector’s role in offering technical solutions and streamlining vessel services.
Ports and Maritime Affairs Under-Secretary Bader Al Mahmood underscored that the ministry continues to modernise its maritime safety and security systems in alignment with international standards.
He emphasised that the new devices provide real-time data on a vessel’s location, identity, route and speed, enhancing emergency response and rescue operations.
Mr Al Mahmood highlighted that supply, installation and programming of the systems will be carried out by authorised private-sector entities, which will co-ordinate with Coastguard service centres to integrate tracking data into the centralised system.
The edict exempts jet skis from the requirement but stipulates that, for navigation licences to be issued, the tracking device must be properly installed and programmed according to technical standards.
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