Interior Ministry Highlights Plans for Stronger Emergency Systems

Lieutenant-General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Civil Defence Council, received Dr. Ioana Crițaru, Early Warning, Disaster Preparedness, Recovery, and Resilience Specialist at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The meeting was attended by Public Security Chief Lieutenant-General Tariq Hassan Al Hassan and UNDP Resident Representative in Bahrain, Asma Shalaby.

The Interior Minister welcomed Dr. Crițaru and praised UNDP’s role in strengthening regional and international partnerships in disaster risk reduction and in supporting the development of resilient and sustainable communities. He highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation with UNDP in the coming period.

Shaikh Rashid underscored the significance of developing an integrated national emergency management system aligned with international best practices. He emphasized adopting a proactive approach to enhance readiness and national response capabilities to ensure effective action during emergencies.

He also noted the vital role of national early warning systems in accelerating emergency response and improving coordination among government agencies, the private sector, and civil society. The Minister stressed the importance of ensuring that alerts reach all segments of society through multiple channels as part of comprehensive community awareness initiatives. He also referenced the ongoing updates to the National Civil Protection Platform—launched in November 2023—as a key national project that leverages modern technologies to strengthen safety culture across the community.

The meeting reviewed ongoing national efforts to strengthen crisis and disaster management capabilities. It highlighted the recent completion of the “Airport Emergency Preparedness” workshop led by the National Committee for Civil Emergency Management. Bahrain International Airport has become the first airport in the GCC to fully implement the internationally recognized program and join the global network of certified airports.

Both sides discussed avenues to enhance cooperation with UNDP, including advancing initiatives focused on developing effective early warning and response systems and improving Bahrain’s disaster risk reduction framework in alignment with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030.