The digital age brings new opportunities and new threats in equal measure. Nowhere is this more evident than the rise of cybercrime, which costs the world a staggering US$18 million every minute on average, or US$9.5 trillion per year. The scale of these numbers is formidable: if cybercrime were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest economy.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has kept pace with the evolution of technology, and invested successfully in digitisation and its rapid development has come with the associated growing pains: the GCC is second only to the United States in terms of the average cost of a breach.
In response, countries in the region are turning their attention to shoring up defenses against cybercrime, leveraging policy, training and investment to achieve their goals. The cybersecurity market in the Middle East is set to reach upwards of US$31 billion by 2030.
Bahrain is taking a multipronged and holistic approach to building a more cyber-secure Kingdom. Among its pillars are training a workforce with the skills to combat cybercrime, raising awareness of the importance of cybersecurity with Bahraini nationals, and crafting supportive policy to ensure cybersecurity is a central part of Bahrain’s digital transformation.
A cyber-skilled workforce, a cyber-smart nation
The heartbeat of any sector is its workforce, and cybersecurity is no exception. A digitally secure nation is defended by skilled professionals with the ability to recognise and respond to cyber threats, and act as the first line of defence for their organisations.
Part of Bahrain’s national strategy is to nurture this talent locally. Bahrain’s Telecommunications, ICT and Digital Economy Sector Strategy (2022-2026) aims to train 20,000 citizens in cybersecurity, partnering with educational institutions and Tamkeen, the nation’s Labour Fund, to equip the workforce for the future.
In 2022, the Labour Fund partnered with SANS Institute, a cybersecurity education provider, to deliver training to help close the cybersecurity skills gap. 25% of graduates from its first cohort found employment, locally and internationally, within mere weeks of graduating. Tamkeen has also been proactive about creating a funnel for trained graduates, signing a strategic cooperation agreement with Beyon Cyber to give graduates of the SANS programme job and training opportunities.
Recognising that even the most advanced digital infrastructure can be compromised by human error, the Bahraini government has prioritised cybersecurity education outside specialised careers as well. The National Cyber Security Center outlines awareness as a key pillar of its strategy, aiming to cultivate a cyber-aware culture, from classrooms to corporate boardrooms. The NCSC begins raising awareness from early in students’ educational journeys, from designing a cybersecurity curriculum for school age children to gamifying learning.
These efforts reflect a broader shift toward embedding cybersecurity into the national consciousness, equipping Bahrainis to be active defenders of the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem.
Strong digital defence
If people are the soldiers on the front lines of Bahrain’s cybersecurity, then its digital infrastructure is the fortress wall they defend. Recognising this, Bahrain is fortifying its defences through investments in high-speed connectivity and cloud technologies.
Bahrain was the first country in the region to roll out a nationwide Cloud First Policy, which mandates public entities to adopt cloud solutions wherever feasible. This approach has been a cornerstone of Bahrain’s rapid digital transformation, driving innovation and smarter services. The government’s successful implementation has encouraged wider adoption across both public and private sectors, and was one of the reasons that prompted Amazon Web Services to select Bahrain as its “First Region” in the Middle East.High-speed connectivity is another foundational pillar. Bahrain’s national roadmap for digital infrastructure is translating into faster data speeds and expanded coverage. As of 2024, the country boasts more than 95% 5G coverage in urban areas, making it one of the first countries in the world to achieve nation-wide 5G services, enabling real-time threat monitoring, and supporting advanced cloud-based security services. Moreover, Bahrain has one of the world’s highest internet penetration rates, with the internet networks covering 100% of the population.
Complementing this, major private sector investments – such as Beyon Group’s US$250 million commitment to digital infrastructure – are accelerating the Kingdom’s shift to a resilient, next-generation network. Batelco, a subsidiary of Beyon, is in talks with technology giants such as Nokia and Huawei to trial next-generation 6G technology.
Collaboration for cyber-resilience
A global threat like cybercrime calls for global cooperation in response. Bahrain is collaborating across borders to help build a digitally secure future.
The GCC’s growing coordination on cybersecurity, alongside intelligence agreements with international partners in Europe, the United States, and Asia, and collaborations with tech leaders like Microsoft and Amazon, is creating a unified and formidable security strategy.
Together, these infrastructure investments and alliances are creating a more secure, agile, and digitally empowered Bahrain, with great effect: Bahrain is in the highest tier of the Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, reflecting the nation’s strong commitment to coordinated and government-driven actions. Both regionally and internationally, Bahrain has proven to be a pioneer in shaping the future of cybersecurity.
