Recognized among global telecom leaders at this international platform, Zain received 10 awards, including being named the best network for coverage, quality, and overall gaming experience in the Kingdom in the latest Mobile Network Experience Awards Report by Opensignal. It has further won accolades for upload speed, video, and voice apps. This distinction has positioned Zain Bahrain as the most awarded network in Bahrain and played a pivotal role in propelling the Kingdom to the #1 Overall Rank position in Opensignal’s Global Network Excellence Index for the MENA region for “all devices”.

The recognition reflects Zain Bahrain’s sustained investment in expanding network capacity, modernizing infrastructure, and enhancing overall performance. As part of this strategy, the Company has accelerated the expansion and upgrade of its 4G and 5G networks across the Kingdom, reinforcing both mobile and fixed broadband services. These efforts reinforce mobile and fixed broadband services and enable advanced 5G use cases and deliver integrated digital solutions tailored to the evolving needs of individuals, businesses, and government entities — contributing meaningfully towards Bahrain’s digital vision.

“Receiving this recognition at MWC Barcelona 2026 — where the global telecom ecosystem gathers to shape the future of connectivity — reinforces Zain Bahrain’s role as a transformative force driving digital excellence both locally and regionally. This milestone reflects our relentless pursuit of network excellence, our commitment to innovation, and our dedication to delivering superior experiences that empower our customers and enterprise partners. It also affirms our strategic investments in next-generation infrastructure and our long-term vision to power sustainable digital growth,” Amar Buali, Director of Access Network, IP, Cyber Security, and Facilities Management at Zain Bahrain, said.

Through continuous innovation and infrastructure modernization, Zain Bahrain is building a future-ready digital ecosystem that empowers enterprises with scalable connectivity, cybersecurity, cloud-enabled services, and intelligent network capabilities, while simultaneously enhancing everyday digital experiences for consumers.

The unit explained that there has been noticeable diversity recently in the nature of these cases and the patterns of offences committed, reflecting the evolving methods of criminal activity in the digital environment and underscoring the importance of continuing to develop response mechanisms and enhance readiness to address such developments in accordance with the best security and legal practice.

The unit also noted that it continues to strengthen its preventive and awareness-raising role by intensifying targeted awareness campaigns, particularly in educational institutions, and by expanding its outreach efforts to raise community awareness of cyberspace risks and prevention measures.

It further highlighted the strengthening of cooperation and coordination frameworks with relevant entities and institutions at both the national and international levels. The unit also continues to prepare and implement an integrated action plan for 2026, focused on developing institutional capabilities, strengthening partnerships, and adopting best practices in child protection in cyberspace, in line with rapidly evolving challenges and to ensure the highest levels of protection for children online.

Gulf Air confirmed that it is advancing steadily in restoring and expanding its flight operations as scheduled services from Bahrain International Airport resume, strengthening connectivity to key destinations across its network and cementing the Kingdom of Bahrain’s position as a regional and international aviation hub.

The airline noted that its current network operating from Bahrain International Airport includes Riyadh, London Heathrow, Jeddah, Muscat, Dubai, Nairobi, Lahore, Dhaka, Islamabad, and Istanbul. Services to and from Abu Dhabi are set to resume in April 2026, with flights to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi, Paris, Frankfurt, and Bangkok commencing from 21 April 2026.

From 1 May 2026, Gulf Air will resume services to and from Doha, Bangalore, Goa, Munich, Moscow, Milan, Athens, Casablanca, Cairo, Manila, the Maldives, Colombo, Kuwait, Madinah, Dammam, Karachi, and Amman. From 15 May 2026, flights to and from Manchester, Rome, Guangzhou, and Singapore will also resume.

From 1 June 2026, Gulf Air will reinstate services to and from London Gatwick, Larnaca, Baku, Tbilisi, Shanghai, New York, and Al-Qassim. In addition, the airline will launch its summer 2026 seasonal destinations, comprising Geneva, Málaga, Nice, and El Alamein.

The newly launched solution reinforces Zain Bahrain’s commitment to innovation and customer-centric transformation by empowering organizations to engage with customers through natural, human- like conversational voice experiences in the Bahraini dialect, delivering culturally relevant engagement at scale.

The AI voice agent is an enterprise-grade platform that uses AI to analyze customer sentiment, summarize calls, and automate workflows. It also connects with systems in real time to handle tasks such as ticket inquiries and service requests, with the ability to seamlessly transfer to human agents when needed.

Designed for inbound and outbound customer engagements, the solution allows organizations to use multiple AI voice personas tailored to different business needs and customer journeys, allowing AI adoption to scale across operations while maintaining high service quality.

“Customer expectations today are shaped by speed, personalization, and meaningful engagement. With the launch of Bahrain’s first generative AI voice agent speaking the Bahraini dialect, OneCX is setting a new benchmark for how organizations connect with their customers,” Abdulla Salmeen, Zain Bahrain’s Chief Customer Care Officer, said.

This launch further reinforces Zain Bahrain’s position as a trusted partner in customer experience and digital transformation, aligned with its vision to lead in innovative digital solutions and advance CX standards across Bahrain and the region.

Under this initiative, the CBB in a statement said, retail banks and financing companies will offer customers the option to defer loan installments and credit card payments, including principal and interest, for three months, with the deferral option applicable to both individuals and corporates. These institutions will have the flexibility to postpone the classification of loans for affected customers, with the total value of domestic loans at BD11.3 billion.

For a period of six months, the CBB will provide retail banks unlimited Bahraini dinar liquidity against eligible collateral (currently BD 7 billion). In addition, the repo facility will be extended to three months. Reserve requirements will be reduced from 5.0% to 3.5%. The minimum Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) and Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) will be reduced from 100% to 80%, which should release additional liquidity into economic sectors.

The CBB affirmed that Bahrain’s financial sector continues to operate smoothly with the banking sector maintaining strong capital adequacy and liquidity levels. The CBB will continue to monitor developments closely and stands ready to take further measures as needed to safeguard monetary and financial stability and ensure the continuity and sustainability of financial services across Bahrain.

The agreement was signed by Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE and Khalid Humaidan, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain. The agreement aims to further strengthen existing cooperation between the two nations.

Khaled Mohamed Balama emphasised that the signing of the currency swap agreement reaffirms the UAE’s and the Kingdom of Bahrain’s shared commitment to expanding financial and monetary cooperation, as well as strengthening trade and investment ties.

He added that the agreement demonstrates both sides’ dedication to promoting the use of local currencies and advancing cooperation frameworks between central banks, contributing to enhanced financial stability and the deepening of regional and international partnerships.

Khalid Humaidan said that the agreement reflects the strength and depth of the longstanding ties between the leaderships of the Kingdom of Bahrain and United Arab Emirates, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral relationship. He added that it will further enhance cooperation between the two central banks and advance regional financial integration, emphasising that the agreement is expected to stimulate economic growth and reinforce financial stability in both countries.

Gulf Air will operate direct flights on the following routes, to and from Bahrain International Airport: Dubai (DXB), Jeddah (JED), Riyadh (RUH), London Heathrow (LHR), Nairobi (NBO), Dhaka (DAC), Mumbai (BOM), Kochi (COK), Delhi (DEL), Hyderabad (HYD), Islamabad (ISB), Lahore (LHE), and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV).

In parallel, Gulf Air’s operations at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam will continue uninterrupted, maintaining its current schedule of services across international destinations.

“We are pleased to resume limited operations at Bahrain International Airport and look forward to progressively restoring our full network. Gulf Air is deeply grateful to the wise leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister,” Khalid Taqi, Chairman of Gulf Air Group, said.

“We also extend our gratitude to the Board of Directors for their support throughout this period, and to the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications, the Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs, the Bahrain Defense Force, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior for their close coordination and dedication. Additionally, the tremendous support and facilities provided by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through various governmental entities, including but not limited to the General Authority of Civil Aviation of the Saudi Arabia, the authorities at King Fahad Causeway and King Fahd International Airport and the relevant Saudi authorities who have been instrumental to the success of our operations in Dammam. And finally, we thank our passengers and partners for their patience and continued trust.”

Gulf Air continues to monitor the situation closely and coordinate in real time with all relevant authorities. Operational schedules will be adjusted in line with airspace conditions. Gulf Air reassures the safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew remaining the highest priority.

Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status via Gulf Air’s official website: gulfair.com, the Gulf Air mobile app before travelling to the airport. Additionally, passengers will be notified directly via contact details in their booking.

The new destinations complement Gulf Air’s existing temporary network from Dammam to London Heathrow (LHR), Mumbai (BOM), Nairobi (NBO), Cairo (CAI), Chennai (MAA), Bangkok (BKK), Casablanca (CMN), Manila (MNL), Paris (CDG), Frankfurt (FRA), Istanbul (IST), Athens (ATH), and Thiruvananthapuram (TRV), amid the temporary closure of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s airspace and that of certain countries in the region.

Gulf Air will provide ground transportation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and King Fahd International Airport for passengers holding confirmed bookings on these flights.

Gulf Air is also facilitating Saudi Arabia transit visa assistance exclusively for passengers travelling to and from the Kingdom of Bahrain, who are using Gulf Air organized ground transportation. Passengers whose final destination is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, must hold a valid visa arranged independently.

Passengers may book their flights through Gulf Air’s website at gulfair.com, via the mobile app, or through authorized travel agents.

This came as Nabeel Kanoo has been elected Chairman, and Yusuf Salahuddin, 1^st Vice Chairman, as well as Nawaf Al-Zayani 2^nd Vice Chairman during the maiden meeting of the board of directors.

The Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber held its inaugural meeting at the BCCI premises in Sanabis for the 31st term, during which members endorsed Nabeel Khalid Kanoo as Chairman. “This reflects their confidence in his leadership vision and ability to guide the Chamber in line with the aspirations of the private sector,” the BCCI in a statement said.

During the session Yousef Salahuddin as First Vice Chairman and Nawaf Alzayani as Second Vice Chairman, alongside the appointment of Bob Thaker and Hasan Kaiksow to the Executive Committee. Ahmed AlSalom was elected Treasurer, with Khalid Juma as Vice Treasurer, as part of organizational procedures designed to strengthen institutional cohesion and support effective decision-making.

At the outset Yousef Salahuddin chaired the session as the most senior member. Following the completion of legal procedures, Nabeel Kanoo assumed the chairmanship, marking the beginning of a new phase of structured institutional work built on partnership and integration, focused on advancing the Chamber’s strategic objectives and reinforcing its role in supporting the national economy.

Chairman Nabeel Kanoo expressed his pride in the trust placed in him by the Board and the business sector, noting that it carries significant responsibility requiring diligent work while fully acknowledging the challenges facing the private sector.He expressed deep appreciation to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa for his ongoing support of the national economy and for strengthening the private sector’s role as a key partner in development, and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for advancing the economic framework and reinforcing public-private sector partnership.

He congratulated the Board members on their election, emphasizing that the upcoming phase requires collective work based on active partnership, with each member serving as a partner in decision-making and responsible for delivering results.

He outlined that the Chamber would operate this term according to a structured approach guided by clear priorities, aimed at enhancing its role as the representative of the private sector, strengthening its tools, and increasing its presence and influence in the business environment, building past achievements. Key priorities include enhancing direct communication with members, understanding their needs and challenges, and turning them into actionable initiatives, including support for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) through improved services and access to funding and growth opportunities.

He also stressed the importance of developing legislation and the business environment in cooperation with relevant authorities, to simplify procedures, improve service efficiency, enhance competitiveness, and develop all commercial markets in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

He emphasized the need to develop sectoral committees to better represent various economic sectors, improve the efficiency of the Chamber’s administrative apparatus, and rationalize expenditures to promote financial sustainability. The Chamber also aims to strengthen its regional and international presence and reinforce its role in social responsibility as a contributor to economic development.

He commended members’ participation in the electoral process under exceptional circumstances, appreciating the cooperation of government entities, including the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, led by Abdullah bin Adel Fakhro, and the Ministry of Interior, led by General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, in ensuring a smooth process.

 He praised the efforts of the Election Committee, chaired by Abbas Radi, and the Appeals Committee, chaired by Counselor Musab Busaibeh, for maintaining the process with integrity and transparency, and expressed appreciation to the previous Board, chaired by Sameer Nass, for their work during the past term.

Kanoo vowed board will implement clear action plans for each priority, following a defined timeline, with periodic follow-up to ensure results are achieved.