Bahrain's Ministry of Transportation Ports and Maritime Affairs sets up GCC Cooperative Data Centre for the Gulf region

The Long-Range Identification and Tracking regulation provides for the global identification and tracking of ships and is mandatory for all International SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) Convention Contracting Governments which Bahrain is party to.

Bahrain's LRIT Data Centre now provides services to the Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. The setup of the new joint Data Centre was facilitated by Pole Star Space Applications, the LRIT service provider for the GCC member states. The Kingdom of Bahrain has extended an open invitation to all GCC states to join the Cooperative Data Centre, which will enhance regional cooperation and increase maritime domain awareness.

The initiative is in line with the charter of the GCC, whose objectives are to effect coordination, integration and interconnection between member states by formulating similar regulations in all fields.

Commenting on the announcement, His Excellency Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation said: "The formation of the GCC Co-operative Data Centre is a significant milestone achievement for Bahrain. With this new Data Centre, we are able to provide GCC member states the facility to collect and store information on ships which will bolster regional cooperation and increase awareness in the maritime domain."

"This new strategic initiative will help us at the Ministry of Transportation Ports and Maritime Affairs to maintain the Kingdom of Bahrain's leadership position in the maritime industry and at the same time ensure that international standards as per IMO requirements are strictly adhered to. We remain committed to improving the efficiency of ports and supervising all maritime activities to further Bahrain's growth as a regional transhipment hub and maritime centre," he added.

The Long Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system is a designated International Maritime Organization (IMO) system designed to collect and disseminate vessel position information received from IMO member States ships that are subject to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

The LRIT regulation provides global identification and tracking of ships and is mandatory for all SOLAS Contracting governments to implement. The Data Centre is part of the LRIT system and contracting governments will receive information via National or Cooperative LRIT Data Centres using the International LRIT Data Exchange.

In September 2012, the Ministry of Transportation Ports and Maritime Affairs hosted a three-day sub-regional training workshop in partnership with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), which provided an excellent platform for Port Facility Security Officers (PFSO) and maritime professionals to learn about the latest advanced technology systems used to enhance maritime security via the Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) System.

Bahrain is a member of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and the Ministry of Transportation Ports and Maritime Affairs is committed and dedicated to fully and effectively implementing IMO sanctioned systems and standards to help further develop the global maritime industry.

The Ministry of Transportation Ports and Maritime Affairs takes its role as the regulator of Bahrain's maritime sector very seriously, and has signed a number of international maritime agreements, for example (SOLAS - International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, MARPOL International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, STCW- International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) to adopt international regulatory standards for safety, marine environment and others.