Manama: Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, presided over the 313th meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects. The meeting began with the Committee expressing its admiration for the speech delivered by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa at the commencement of the new academic year 2026-2027. The Committee voiced its appreciation for His Majesty's acknowledgment of the government's prudent actions, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in maintaining the educational process amidst the challenges posed by the Iranian attacks.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the Committee emphasized the significance of regulatory decisions issued by His Highness Shaikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, aimed at enhancing legislative frameworks for wildlife governance in alignment with the Environmental Law and international conventions. These initiatives are intended to promote sustainable management of natural resources.
The Committee extended congratulations to educators, parents, and students on the new academic year's start. It reviewed initiatives to improve road networks around educational institutions for better traffic flow and safety, alongside plans for maintaining government school infrastructure, based on a presentation by the Ministry of Works.
Commendation was given to the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture for launching the pilot phase of the Digital Building Information Modelling (BIM) project, in collaboration with the Information and eGovernment Authority. The integration of this system into the Building Permits System (Benayat) was highlighted as a key step towards expediting permit issuance, supporting digital transformation, and enhancing urban planning and investment competitiveness.
The Ministry of Works' opening of Boulevard Road in Riffa was noted for its impact on improving the road network's efficiency and providing a direct link between Zallaq Highway and Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway, thereby facilitating traffic flow.
The Committee welcomed the Supreme Council for Environment's development of digital government services, aligning with the government's digital transformation initiatives to streamline procedures and improve service delivery to citizens.
In its agenda discussions, the Committee approved regulatory measures for the Ministry of Municipalities and Agriculture to update municipal records in compliance with legal frameworks. It also monitored progress on the National Smart Cities Strategy and evaluated feedback through the National Suggestions and Complaints System (Tawasul) regarding infrastructure.
Periodic reports reviewed by the Committee included updates on the afforestation plan, statistics on the Building Permits System showing permits being issued within an average of one working day, and governance procedures for expropriation and compensation. Service Level Agreement performance at the Urban Planning and Development Authority indicated a five-day average response time to planning consultations, while surveying transactions at the Survey and Land Registration Bureau were completed within 11 working days. The operational readiness of the electricity and water sectors was also assessed, focusing on network readiness and water distribution metrics.