The Deputy Interior Minister, Lt-General Adel bin Khalifa Al Fadhel, participated in the First Arab Regional Forum on Early Warning and Disaster Preparedness, hosted by the Arab League, and attended by Their Excellencies Interior Ministers, senior officials, representatives of Arab countries, and representatives of regional and international organisations concerned.
The Deputy Interior Minister affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the support and follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, places the highest priority on strengthening the civil protection system and reducing disaster risks, both at the national level and within the framework of joint Arab action. He noted that Bahrain is honoured to chair the Arab Coordination Mechanism for Disaster Risk Reduction, building on the institutional progress it has achieved, as well as on qualitative programmes and effective regional and international partnerships in this field.
He noted that, in implementing the instructions of His Excellency Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Civil Defence Council, the Interior Ministry is working to establish a national approach based on proactive risk management.
This is being achieved by enhancing the readiness of national institutions, protecting vital infrastructure, updating legislation, and developing effective early-warning systems.
Among the most prominent of these initiatives is activating the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which delivers immediate warnings to citizens and residents via smartphones, and launching the National Civil Protection Platform as a unified awareness platform for public safety.
The Deputy Interior Minister explained that the convening of this forum represents an important Arab milestone in strengthening joint cooperation in emergency management and disaster risk reduction, stressing that early warning systems and proactive preparedness constitutes the first line of defence for protecting lives and property, in light of the complex and accelerating risks facing the world, where climate change intersects with environmental, economic and social challenges.
He concluded by underscoring the importance of digital transformation and artificial intelligence in developing accurate, multi-channel early warning systems. He highlighted the need to build an integrated Arab strategy that incorporates the objectives of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction into development plans.
