Geographic Information Systems

How is the Kingdom of Bahrain using its spatial data infrastructure for informed decision-making?

In the digital age, Bahrain is on a mission to transform its Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Portal into a dynamic hub of geographic information. The Kingdom's commitment to continuous development of the Bahrain Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) Portal and electronic systems built on it is paving the way for a data revolution. By providing accurate and up-to-date geographic information specific to Bahrain, this initiative is not only assisting decision-makers but also fueling progress in the public and private sectors. The BSDI Portal isn't just a tool; it's a catalyst for a more informed and innovative future.

The database contains over 300 layers of infrastructure maps, serving over 30 government and private entities around the clock. This contributes to faster decision-making, service delivery, transactions for citizens, and planning, supporting the national economy, government strategies, and projects. It also helps with optimizing land and resource utilization, achieving sustainability in production and services, and supporting coordination between government and non-government entities.

Tasareeh is a geographic electronic platform that facilitates the management of issuing permits for various types of infrastructure. It streamlines coordination among the entities involved in infrastructure services and the internal distribution of requests while providing the required data to expedite decision-making without relying on other systems.

The Building Permit Portal (Benayat) is a system responsible for issuing construction permits for all projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain, whether they are for investment, residential, industrial, commercial, or other purposes. Thanks to its integration with all concerned government entities, Benayat has streamlined the process of issuing building permits from several months to 5 days through a single window. This is in addition to the Bahrain Interactive Map, that shows the building requirements for each plot or property.

‘Planning’ is an urban planning portal that aims to streamline urban planning services, expedite procedures, improve service quality, reduce time frames, simplify procedures, and enhance the private sector's role as an effective partner in service provision. It covers multiple functions, including land subdivision, land rezoning, freeze parcel removal, plot boundaries, and more.

The Bahrain Explorer website was developed by the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Directorate at the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), utilizing modern GIS technology, and provides the scenario of Bahrain, location, and commercial road information.