The Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB), in collaboration with the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), organised a virtual workshop as part of a project studying the implementation of the MUDDI standard in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The workshop saw the participation of more than 350 officials and international experts, along with representatives from government entities and the private sector.

This workshop is the first of its kind in the region and comes within the framework of national efforts aimed at supporting the governance of infrastructure sector data and promoting sustainable development, in line with Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030. The workshop reflects the progress the Kingdom of Bahrain is making in this field.

Basim bin Yacob Al Hamer, President of the Survey and Land Registration Bureau, emphasised that the workshop, which is part of a project studying the implementation of the MUDDI standard in Bahrain, aims at enhancing integration and quality in capturing, representing, and exchanging infrastructure data through unified standards. He said that this initiative contributes to building a national data ecosystem that supports decision-making, reduces costs, raises service efficiency, and enhances Bahrain's readiness for future projects, positioning it among the leading countries in applying this global standard.

Al Hamer highlighted the importance of cooperation among government entities, the private sector, and universities in developing unified solutions that improve the quality and sustainability of infrastructure projects.

The workshop also featured a high-level panel discussion with the participation of Kamal bin Ahmed Mohamed, President of the Electricity and Water Authority (EWA); Ebrahim bin Hasan Al Hawaj, Minister of Works; and Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA).

During the discussion session, the EWA President noted that the MUDDI standard constitutes a pivotal step in enhancing the quality and reliability of infrastructure data. He said that unifying standards and providing a shared platform for data exchange will contribute to improving planning and execution, raising the efficiency of operational processes, and reducing costs associated with managing data between entities.

He added that EWA possesses a comprehensive database that is continuously updated and verified for accuracy, enabling work teams to have instant access to necessary information and support decision-making.

On his part, Minister Al Hawaj said that this project represents a pivotal step in enhancing integration among relevant service entities and enriching the Kingdom's infrastructure data system. He pointed out that the Ministry of Works is considered one of the main partners in adopting this standard, the principal regulator for its application audits, in addition to being a primary owner and consumer of data related to the planning and execution of infrastructure projects.

The Minister further explained that adopting the MUDDI standard as a unified data standard would raise the quality of engineering data by unifying specifications and mechanisms for capturing, updating, and storing underground assets’ data. This, in turn, contributes to reducing the total time required for project implementation. It also provides a unified reference that supports the efficiency of coordination among the concerned entities, noting that enhancing data quality is a fundamental element in improving strategic planning and developing sustainable infrastructure solutions.

Regarding the transformation of digital platforms to a unified standard like MUDDI and its role in supporting accountability for data quality, Al Qaed noted that the Authority is keen on governing national platforms to enhance accountability. He emphasised that integrating the MUDDI standard into the Tasareeh system, which is the central and unified electronic system for managing infrastructure requests, projects, and works in the Kingdom of Bahrain, contributes to the creation of a comprehensive digital audit log. This log accurately identifies the entities that submitted the data, along with the time of submission. It also helps to provide automatic digital tools that ensure contractors' adherence to standards when submitting data, thereby contributing to enhancing the quality of geospatial infrastructure data within the National Geographic Information Database (BSDI).