Council member
Bahrain
The Kingdom of Bahrain was an original founding member of the Digital Cooperation Organization.
Its participation was ratified by HE Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, whose Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry oversees IT infrastructure in the Gulf state.
Like its neighbors in the Gulf, Bahrain’s internet penetration ranks amongst the highest in the world, with over 99% of the population online. Social media use, digital literacy, and mobile connection rates all also exceed global averages, with the later currently standing at 130% of the total population.
These factors underline the success of the government’s drive to pursue a rapid digital transformation strategy which aims to position the country as a regional digital innovation hub. This multi-phase approach has boosted domestic jobs, attracted foreign investment, and helped to modernize wider sectors such as logistics, finance, and tourism.
Key Achievements
-
In 2026, the Kingdom of Bahrain achieved a new milestone in the development of its telecommunications sector by ranking sixth globally among 159 countries in the 2026 ICT Development Index (IDI), issued by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
- General Policy for the Use of Artificial Intelligence: Published in 2025, the policy provides a framework for the responsible and ethical use of AI across government entities in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
- MyGov Application: Launched in 2025 as part of the Government Apps Merger Plan, MyGov provides unified access to government services and digital features through one application.
- eKey 2.0 Application: Launched in February 2025, eKey 2.0 provides secure digital authentication and single sign-on access to digital services using biometric verification.
- The Technical Development Program: Launched in 2022, the program develops the technical skills of Bahraini ICT graduates and job seekers through specialized training and practical experience. The program has launched three batches in 2022, 2023, and 2025.
- SHAREKNA Platform – The National eParticipation Platform: Sharkena provides citizens and residents with digital channels to participate in consultations, share feedback and ideas, and contribute to improving government services.
- In 2022, Bahrain launched its 2022 – 2026 Telecommunications, Information Technology and Digital Economy Strategy.
- In November 2021, Bahrain launched a bold and ambitious Economic Recovery Plan to stimulate post-pandemic growth that will see more than $30 billion invested in national infrastructure and strategic priority sectors.
- In 2021, Bahrain recorded over 1.5m active social media users, from a population of 1.72m people.
- In 2020, Bahrain ranked 4th in the Arab Digital Economy Report.
- In 2019, Bahrain enacted the Personal Data Protection Law, the main data protection regulation in the country.
- In 2018, Bahrain’s FinTech Bay was launched to develop and accelerate the fintech ecosystem in the Middle East.
- In 2017, Amazon Web Services announced it would build a major data center in Bahrain, the first in the region.
- In March 2017, the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) created a partnership with fintech incubator and ecosystem builder Singapore Fintech Consortium (SFC) to establish a fintech ecosystem and regulatory framework.
- In 2017, Bahrain adopted a ‘Cloud First Policy’ to streamline investment in the sector in cooperation with tech industry players.
Bahrain’s digital economy has seen significant growth in recent years and the country has been able to carve out a successful niche as a data center market.
Amazon Web Service’s decision to launch its first cloud region in the Middle East from Bahrain was a major win, validating the country’s strategic investment in its ICT infrastructure.
Through close cooperation between the government and the private sector, policies have been crafted to be as business friendly as possible. Meanwhile, favorable incentives for the fintech community have helped to attract leading businesses and startups, increasing high-skill employment, and encouraging cross-collaboration and R&D.
The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) adopted a new program that facilitates a regulatory sandbox for fintech start-ups, encouraging the development of fintech technology in the country. This has helped to diversify the economy, drive growth, and increase productivity by improving services for the next generation of businesses.
