Al-Amn Magazine

justice system, making punishment a means of reform and promoting the concepts of rehabilitation and reintegration into society. “The wise government, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad, has been keen to implement this project in an institutional spirit, which has yielded results. This led to tangible positive results. These results have included enhanced community security, reduced recidivism rates, and the opening of new horizons for beneficiaries to positively reintegrate into the national development process. “Believing in the importance of exchanging expertise and exchanging successful experiences among the GCC countries, I am pleased to present to you today the guide for implementing the alternative sentencing project, including open prisons, inspired by Bahrain’s experience in this field. I hope it will serve as a practical reference that contributes to strengthening the path of rehabilitative criminal justice.” He said the developments and rapid transformations in modern crime, driven by electronic and technological advancements such as artificial intelligence applications, that our world is witnessing today, compel them to exert greater efforts to strengthen joint Gulf security cooperation. “If we consider crime to be organised, then I believe it is more beneficial for us to be the most organised in combating it. And if crime is transnational, then there are no limits to security cooperation among us in combating it.” He said in this context, no one denies the significant efforts exerted by drug enforcement authorities in the GCC countries. “However, we aspire to enhance the effectiveness of these efforts by expanding the Gulf strategy for combating drugs, focusing on addressing their sources to reduce the risk and diminish the threat of drugs to our countries. This undoubtedly requires strengthening coordination and joint action on the broadest possible scale.” He said in the context of the success of our joint security journey for the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Bahrain looks forward to hosting the meeting of Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Interior in its next session in your second home, Bahrain. “My sincere wish is to be for our meeting today to be prosperous and to pave the way for the advancement of our societies and to provide the requirements for progress and prosperity.” Several security topics were discussed during the meeting and these contribute to strengthening joint Gulf security cooperation. Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Interior were briefed on the recommendations of the specialised security committees and the most important development initiatives and projects. These included discussions on updates to the Gulf Strategy for Combating Drugs and the Gulf Security Strategy for Combating Money Laundering, as well as the latest developments in traffic systems and the electronic exchange of fingerprints and information for deportees. The establishment of a unified Gulf rescue team was also discussed. Their Highnesses and Excellencies the Ministers of Interior decided to refer the issue of the unified Gulf tourist visa to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for submission to the meeting of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the GCC leaders. They also approved holding the next joint tactical exercise for the security agencies of the GCC states and convening the Gulf Security Conference under the auspices of the GCC General Secretariat. This conference aims to showcase Gulf security capabilities in the smart transformation, review successful international experiences in digital security, and launch awareness initiatives based on artificial intelligence. During the meeting, Bahrain was honoured for the Maan (together) Centre for Research and Training team winning first place in the Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz Award for Security Research 2024 at the GCC level. The award was for their research entitled “The Negative Effects of Social Media on the Gulf Family and its Security Implications,” which focused on analysing the social, psychological, and behavioural effects resulting from the uncontrolled use of modern social media platforms and the related repercussions on Gulf societal security. His Excellency was accompanied by the Ambassador of Bahrain to Kuwait, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and Interior Ministry officials.