Internet of Things (IoT)

Bahrain was the first GCC country to issue standards for IoT connectivity and support the use of the frequency band for IoT (NB-IoT) systems within international mobile communications systems. It is also among a select few Middle Eastern countries to contribute to an International Telecommunication Union proposal for new working document to harmonise the use of the IMT spectrum for narrowband IoT applications. The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) provided government entities with the frequency bands to contribute to the Kingdom’s Digital Transformation and support its Vision 2030 goals for smart cities, IoT and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications.

Cellular networks, technologies and platforms play a vital role in IoT and M2M communications network infrastructure in Bahrain. To this end, the Kingdom has strategically developed its Wireless and fiber networks to support the deployment of 5G technology, thereby enhancing internet speeds, network reliability and overall connectivity.

Several Bahraini government entities and private sector organizations are leveraging Internet of Things (IoT) technology to enhance their operations and support the Kingdom’s economic growth. In line with these technological advancements, the Kingdom of Bahrain established the National Space Science Agency (NSSA) in 2018 to promote space science and its applications. NSSA focuses on raising public awareness through community engagement and building national capabilities in areas such as satellite manufacturing, tracking, control, and monitoring, as well as earth observation, and data and image processing and analysis.

Bahrain, in cooperation with UAE, successfully launched its first satellite, “Light-1,” to the International Space Station in the third quarter of 2021. One of its core missions is to support IoT-based environmental monitoring, particularly the tracking of gas emissions from industrial sites. By integrating IoT sensors and AI technologies for remote sensing, the satellite enables real-time data collection and analysis, contributing to national goals in sustainability, air quality control, and smart governance. This project exemplifies Bahrain’s commitment to advancing space technologies in synergy with IoT and digital transformation, in line with Vision 2030.APM Terminals Bahrain, the operator of Khalifa Bin Salman Port, launched the Lift portal, which allows customers to track and trace their goods, check the status of shipments and vessels and schedule deliveries round the clock. It optimizes operations by giving customers real-time visibility into the status of the cargo in a container facility, enabling them to manage all aspects of the terminal process. Moreover, the integrated electronic portal, Marasi was created to facilitate client access to different port services.

In addition, the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture has implemented an IoT-based automated irrigation system to enhance water usage efficiency, this system allows for real-time monitoring and control, optimizing water distribution and supporting sustainable agricultural practices., and the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) relies on it for distribution automation, in which the collection, analysis and execution of data are automated.

The Economic Development Board (EDB) and Batelco launched the “Brinc Centre” – Batelco IoT Hub, which contributes to the Bahrain ecosystem by fostering the growth of IoT and entrepreneurship in the region.

Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) uses the latest ICT solutions at Bahrain International Airport, including cloud-based unified communications, Video Cloud, IoT and big data platforms. These new systems not only enhance operational efficiency and security, but they also make the airport experience quicker and more comfortable for passengers. The advanced systems are designed to deliver real-time connectivity while meeting the demand for high volumes of data.