Bahrain to grant GCC residents, investors IDs

MANAMA: All citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) who are residing or investing in Bahrain can apply to obtain a Bahraini ID to ease their transactions in the country, said Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, CEO of Bahrain’s eGovernment Authority.
This falls under the directives of Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa — crown prince, deputy supreme commander and first deputy prime minister — to grant more facilities to residents and investors in Bahrain.
Al-Qaed said the procedure will deepen ties with GCC member states, attract more Gulf investments, allow for more services and increase customer satisfaction.
He



added that the procedure is in line with Royal Decree 2 of 2013 regarding adopting the Gulf ID as a common ID during transactions.
He said the law allows granting the ID to any residents who have stayed more than six months in the year since their entry date to Bahrain, as well as Gulf investors once they have a documented and known address.
Al-Qaed added that GCC residents and investors in Bahrain who meet the requirements can go to the eGovernment Authority’s main centers in Madinat Issa or Muharraq without an appointment to provide them with the necessary support and possibly have the ID issued on the same day.