Bahrain’s Digital Twinning Program

The Kingdom of Bahrain has long upheld its commitment to advancing inclusive, responsible, and forward-looking digital governance. In alignment with this vision, the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) has introduced the Digital Twinning Program, a transformative initiative designed to foster cross-border collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and the co-creation of resilient public service ecosystems.

Rooted in Bahrain’s enduring values of cooperation, transparency, and mutual progress, this initiative provides a structured platform through which countries, institutions, and digital leaders can collectively advance service excellence, ethical innovation, and digital public infrastructure. The program serves as a collaborative pathway for governments to exchange operational insights, co-develop policy instruments, and address challenges in a world increasingly shaped by digital interdependence.

Vision and Objectives
The Digital Twinning Program embodies a strategic commitment to collaborative digital development. Facilitating partnerships between government entities promotes the mutual strengthening of capabilities, accelerates public sector innovation, and supports the global push for inclusive digital transformation.

The program’s core objectives include:

• Encouraging scalable collaboration between Bahrain and international peers to design replicable, sustainable solutions in digital public services.
• Supporting international goals and frameworks, notably the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including:
  • SDG 9: Fostering innovation and resilient infrastructure,
  • SDG 16: Enhancing institutional effectiveness and governance,
  • SDG 17: Building global partnerships for sustainable digital futures.
• Creating open channels for dialogue and mentorship, allowing nations at different stages of digital maturity to benefit from collective experiences and lessons learned.
• Collaborate with regional and global partners to expand Bahrain Digital Twining Program into Global Digital Twining Hub

This approach reflects a model of digital solidarity, where nations work not in competition, but in collective pursuit of equitable, human-centered digital ecosystems that transcend borders and respond to real-world needs.

Foundations of Excellence: Two Decades of Digital Diplomacy
Bahrain’s journey toward digital leadership is the result of over two decades of strategic partnerships, knowledge exchanges, and high-level engagement with leading digital governance stakeholders, United Nations agencies, and international governments. These enduring relationships have enabled Bahrain to evolve from a beneficiary of digital expertise to a provider of strategic guidance and advisory services.

International Collaborations and High-Level Engagements
Bahrain’s Digital Twinning Program is underpinned by sustained engagement with international institutions, multilateral organizations, and knowledge networks dedicated to advancing global digital governance. These partnerships reflect Bahrain’s active role in enabling mutual learning, contributing to regional capacity building, and promoting responsible digital transformation.

Collaborations with entities such as the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and its Digital Government Branch have provided valuable platforms for dialogue, policy exchange, and benchmarking of innovative practices. Bahrain’s participation in key workshops and global forums has supported the dissemination of inclusive public service models, digital service standards, and cloud-based transformation frameworks.

Strategic cooperation with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations University (UNU) has further expanded opportunities for technical collaboration in areas such as artificial intelligence for public benefit, SME empowerment, and institutional innovation. These engagements focus on advancing global digital public goods and fostering sustainable, human-centered approaches to service delivery.
Bilateral partnerships have also played a vital role. A Memorandum of Understanding signed with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) in 2023 marked a significant milestone in Gulf regional cooperation, aiming to enhance data ecosystems, promote evidence-based governance, and facilitate cross-border statistical harmonization. Additionally, technical delegations from various countries, including Slovakia and Turkmenistan, have engaged with Bahrain to explore digital infrastructure models, reflecting the Kingdom’s openness to collaborative experimentation and replication of high-impact tools.
The program also values the contributions of the private sector. Notably, the establishment of the first Middle East regional data hub by Amazon Web Services (AWS) in Bahrain has provided an enabling environment for national cloud migration efforts. With over 85% of government operations now cloud-based, the resulting efficiencies have been shared with partners seeking to understand scalable models for digital service delivery and workforce upskilling.
Bahrain’s engagement with global institutions, such as the World Bank, leveraging joint discussions to explore inclusive identity frameworks, digital authentication systems, and next-generation service platforms, including the revamped National ID card and the eKey 2.0 solution. These dialogues are part of a broader commitment to building interoperable, citizen-first ecosystems through shared innovation and strategic alignment with global best practices.

The Digital Twinning Initiative: Strategic Components
The Digital Twinning Initiative is built upon a series of well-structured components that together form a comprehensive ecosystem for cross-border digital governance and knowledge transfer.

1. Bahrain Digital Twining Exchange Hub

A centralized online platform will facilitate bilateral and multilateral knowledge sharing, hosting technical documentation, playbooks, and best practice templates. Serving as a regional anchor, this hub will provide guidance and support for digital transformation across the Gulf and MENA regions.

2. Shared Advisory Toolkit

A modular toolkit encapsulating Bahrain’s digital service models and content structures in alignment with UN Online Service Index (OSI) benchmarks. The toolkit is adaptable for international use and promotes regional adoption.

3. Cross-Border Digital Twining Pilots

Pilot projects is launched in partnership with emerging and developing nations, including Tunisia and the Comoros Islands, to support the modernization of digital portals and the localization of service content. These pilots will be informed by Bahrain’s internal transformation and are expected to serve as case studies for other nations.

4. Digital Twining Fellowship Program

This program will offer immersive three-month residencies in Bahrain to selected foreign delegates, featuring structured mentorship, technical laboratories, and practical scenario simulations based on the bahrain.bh model.

5. Joint Visibility Metrics Framework

A collaborative dashboard will be co-developed to track OSI progress, promote transparency, and report on the readiness of partner countries. This shared visibility ensures accountability and mutual learning.

6. Knowledge Transfer Summits and Reporting

The annual Bahrain Digital Twinning Forum, hosted by iGA, will convene UN representatives, government officials, and digital innovators to review progress and publish regional reports on OSI advancements and collaborative efforts.

Action Plan for Success

To deliver lasting impact, the Digital Twinning Initiative is governed by a detailed, multi-phase action plan, with clear milestones and accountability at every stage.

I. Digital Twinning Activation for Regional and Global Leadership

Immediate priorities include developing an online registration for interested countries, launching a promotional campaign, and preparing knowledge transfer documentation. An online forum will enable information sharing, while placeholder materials will demonstrate the initiative’s operational status.

II. Strengthening Digital Public Infrastructure

Implementation of a National Modular Service Architecture with interoperable digital service components is essential. The creation of a Real-Time Interoperability Layer through a centralized API Gateway and a comprehensive Digital Service Registry will further enhance the robustness and resilience of the national digital infrastructure.

III. Enhancing Multilingual, Inclusive, and Accessible Content

The initiative mandates full trilingual content deployment (Arabic, English) across all core services, adoption of WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards, and partnerships with NGOs to ensure inclusive content certification and real user engagement.

IV. User Journey Optimization

A focus on mapping and digitizing life event-based user journeys will drive service personalization and accessibility. Behavioral analytics will support predictive journey recommendations, while usability labs will facilitate ongoing user testing and improvement.

V. Transparency, Feedback, and Public Engagement

A National Feedback and Performance Hub, combined with open data microservices, will aggregate citizen feedback and performance metrics into publicly available dashboards. Transparent digital consultation portals will facilitate public participation in national decision-making.

VI. Capability Building and Digital Culture

Continuous professional development is embedded through mandatory digital skills modules, micro-certification programs, innovation fellowships for public servants, and a Citizen Digital Champions network to promote digital literacy and engagement.

VII. Monitoring and Visibility for UN OSI Readiness

A specialized OSI monitoring dashboard and quarterly survey readiness reports will ensure Bahrain and its partners remain aligned with international benchmarks. Public-facing microsites will showcase Bahrain’s global digital leadership and collaborative achievements.

The Digital Twinning Initiative is a meticulously planned and forward-looking strategy that not only elevates Bahrain’s position within the digital governance landscape but also enables meaningful regional and global partnerships. By leveraging two decades of digital diplomacy, sustained collaboration, and an unwavering focus on innovation, Bahrain is positioned as a catalyst for digital transformation, promoting best practices, fostering collective progress, and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals at the global level.

References & Sources

• iGA CEO discusses digital cooperation with UN organisations 
• iGA, Saudi Arabia's GaStat sign MoU on statistics - BNA
• Bahrain Launches Global Digital Twinning Initiative to Enhance eGovernment Excellence - MEATECHWATCH (December 16, 2024)
• iGA renews enterprise agreement with Amazon Web Service
• Digital Twinning Activation