Bahrain is set to begin issuing its new e-Passports on March 20, as part of the country’s digital transformation efforts. The announcement was made by Sheikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, the Undersecretary for Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs, at a press conference.
According to Sheikh Hisham, the e-Passports will first be issued to those whose passports have expired or are near their expiry date. He added that the new passport design contains modern security technologies that have never been used before.
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“The issuance of the e-Passport reflects Bahrain’s interest in digital transformation and modernisation”, Sheikh Hisham said. “The passport contains an electronic chip that will raise Bahrain’s global ranking and make it easier to obtain various visas around the world”.
Representative of HID, Colin Howell, explained that the data page of the passport contains seven protected layers, which are the highest security standards ever used. The passport’s design features important symbols of Bahrain’s heritage, such as horses, falcons and the fisker fish, as well as cultural landmarks and historical buildings.
“The new design combines the past with the present, telling the tale of beauty, civilization and originality”, Howell said. “The rich history of Bahrain has been merged with the modern, with consideration of many historical and cultural stations”.