Manama: Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, chaired the 302nd meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Development Projects and Infrastructure. The committee emphasized His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa's remarks as a comprehensive reference for consolidating values of loyalty and belonging, unifying internal ranks in confronting challenges, and defending the sovereignty of the Kingdom.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the committee highlighted the importance of safeguarding national achievements and continuing the comprehensive development process under the leadership of His Majesty the King and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. Following the Deputy Prime Minister's directives from last week's meeting, the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture announced the completion of the closure of the uncovered agricultural drainage channel in Hamala, in coordination with the Ministry of Works. The ministry has also begun identifying similar cases for future resolution.
The committee expressed its support for the Kingdom's candidacy for membership in the Council of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for the upcoming term. It commended the Council's adoption of a joint resolution on the impact of attacks on civilian communications and information technology infrastructure in Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The committee also congratulated the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications on registering DHL Air Bahrain, which will establish its headquarters in the Kingdom. It noted the ministry's collaboration with Saudi Arabia to review rail sector legislation, supporting the Gulf railway project.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning's development of the "Housing Application Allocation" service, transformed into a fully automated procedure, was welcomed as part of the government's digital transformation efforts. On Bahraini Press Day, the committee congratulated media institutions for their role in showcasing development achievements and infrastructure projects.
The committee reviewed its agenda, including updates on the Bahrain Halal system, treated water networks for irrigation, the National Investment Plan for Climate Change Adaptation, and the "Rimal" marine sand survey project. Several periodic reports were also reviewed, including progress on the afforestation plan, which achieved 12% of the annual target by April 2026. The "Benaayat" building permit system showed an average issuance time of two working days. Governance procedures for expropriation and compensation were confirmed to adhere to established timeframes.
Performance indicators for planning consultation services at the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA) showed an average response time of six working days. The Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) noted a reduction in average completion time to 17 working days for surveying transactions, achieved in cooperation with the private sector.