The General Directorate of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing concluded 2025 with a landmark achievement, having successfully met the requirements for implementing the Innovation Management System (ISO 56001:2024). This makes it the first entity in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the first security entity worldwide to implement this system in accordance with its approved requirements, underscoring its commitment to sustainable institutional development and to innovation as an institutional approach.
On this occasion, the Director-General of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing, Shaikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Khalifa, said that this achievement is an extension of the Royal Vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, in establishing the foundations of institutional work and sustainable development, with the support and follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in a manner that supports government innovation and enhances performance efficiency. He also praised the instructions of His Excellency Interior Minister General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa to continue implementing further development initiatives.
He explained that this milestone is pivotal, as meeting the requirements of ISO 56001:2024 reflects the adoption of innovation as a strategic tool to develop policies and services and enhance the quality of outputs related to the Directorate’s duties and responsibilities.
He added that the system is an internationally recognised framework designed to enable organisations to manage innovation systematically and sustainably through innovation governance, strengthen leadership that supports innovative ideas, and transform innovation into an institutional system based on planning, measurement, and continuous improvement, thereby enhancing institutional efficiency and future readiness.
The Director-General noted that the Directorate will continue to build on this achievement and further develop its institutional innovation system, thereby improving performance, enhancing institutional trust, and consolidating the Kingdom of Bahrain’s leadership in adopting global best practices.
For his part, the Chief Executive Officer of Qplus Inspection and Quality Consultancy, Engineer Hassan Isa Al Sharqi, said that the achievement was realised through an effective professional partnership with the General Directorate of Verdict Enforcement and Alternative Sentencing. He described the attainment of ISO 56001:2024 by a security entity at this advanced level as a global first, demonstrating that innovation can be managed through an institutional methodology even in the most sensitive sectors.
Al Sharqi explained that Qplus provided technical and consultancy support through an integrated approach that included gap analysis, building the strategic framework for innovation, developing policies and procedures, capacity building, and linking innovation to strategic objectives and performance indicators.
ISO 56001:2024, the Innovation Management System, is one of the latest international standards issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). It aims to enable organisations to manage innovation systematically and sustainably by transforming ideas into tangible added value that improves institutional performance and enhances adaptability to change.
