Reports

The Kingdom’s first Voluntary National Review Report on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, which has been presented at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development in July 2018, showcases Bahrain’s progress in achieving and handling these goals based on its experience and expertise in achieving the Millennium Development Goals before 2015. The report also reveals the accomplishment level of goals and objectives enhanced by statistics, measures, and policies taken to sustain the development and well-being of the citizen.

The report is the result of a consultative and participatory process for ministries, public and private entities, NGOs, academics and those interested in Sustainable Development. This process helped in raising awareness and interest in sustainable development as well as linking it to national development plans. 

Bahrain Customer Satisfaction Index (BHCSI) is an annual comparison analysis study between the users and non-users in terms of awareness, usage trends and impact of demographic data conducted annually by a team of experts from the University of Bahrain’s College of Information Technology. The university is one of iGA’s technology partners.

After a comprehensive research, iGA and the University of Bahrain saw the need that the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) should be based on a well-recognized international standard such as American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), Customer Satisfaction Index for Singapore (CSISG), Hong Kong Customer Satisfaction Index (HKCSI) and the Swedish Customer Satisfaction Index (SCSI).

In addition, it should not only be a systematic model on conducting the customer satisfaction survey based on international recognized standards but also allow benchmarking internationally.

Based on two well-recognized international standards; in 2014, the Strategic Decision Support Studies (SDSS) group at the University of Bahrain introduced the Bahrain Customer Satisfaction Index (BHCSI) model for the first time - designed specifically for the public sector.

It measures the Customer Satisfaction for eGovernment services at service category level for the three different stakeholders - Individual, Business and Government. It is based on the scientific formula of computing the sample size for the better generalization of the results, the sample selection. The study measures the following to cover the three stakeholders:

• Awareness of the eGovernment program, eService and channels
• Usage of the eServices and channels
• Satisfaction of channels
• Bahrain Customer Satisfaction Index (BHCSI)

As part of public engagement, the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) ensures to involve all stakeholders in improving the eService and channels of eGovernment program through an open discussion and a multi-sessions Focus Group. iGA highly benefits from participants’ opinions and experience who come from different backgrounds, segments and professions as their interactive feedback adds great value to the improvement cycle and becomes more effective, efficient, and more relevant to users. Thanks to the citizens and all stakeholders who have participated in the focus group sessions, iGA has taken the feedback seriously and implemented a number of enhancements to many services as illustrated below:

Foreign Trade is the trade of commodities amongst several countries with an aim to achieve mutual benefits for both parties. Directly affecting the components of the national income, the foreign trade plays a distinctive role in economic and political life. Through this role, nation’s political features can be determined along with the main aspects of its relations with other countries.

Foreign trade in the Kingdom of Bahrain is summarized through comprehensive reports of exports and imports movements, the volume of trade exchange together with trade balance between the Kingdom and the rest of the countries in the world. In addition to the main trading partners and the most important goods that are exported and imported on a monthly and yearly basis.

The aim of the survey is to provide in-depth data on national and expatriate labor force classified according to their demographic, social and economic characteristics in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The survey also measures rates of unemployment, employment, economic participation as well as the dependency inconsistent with various variables. In addition to providing information on training programs for job seekers as well as introducing seekers’ previous experiences before getting employed.

The survey also provides data on the unemployed and the employed as per their specializations and educational qualifications; identifies professional structure and employees’ economic activity in proportion to several variables.

Moreover, it identifies the average monthly wage of employees besides supplying data of the average actual weekly working hours according to employees’ occupation and economic activity. Furthermore, it aims at delivering detailed data of job seekers, organized and unorganized employments together with labor force indicators for decision-makers, public and private sectors as well as regional and international organizations. 

The establishment of a comprehensive statistical database of tourism statistics is one of the basic requirements for policy-makers in this field. It is a process that requires to ensure and maintain the flow of statistical data in an updated, timely and of high-quality manner.

This project, related to the study of tourism request (visitor) and study of tourism offer (establishment’s tourism production) for the second stage, is considered an important requirement to provide a timeline that contributes in forming the requirements of tourism sub-account which is the main tool to measure the contribution size of the tourism activity in the national product, its effect on the national economy and payments budget. 

The Information & eGovernment Authority - in cooperation with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, Central Bank of Bahrain together with Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism - implemented the Foreign Investment Surveys project which included the annual foreign investment survey for the financial years 2014 to 2016, the pilot quarterly foreign investment transaction surveys for 2017 as well as the quarterly business perception surveys.

The survey series aim to compile and disseminate comprehensive foreign investment statistics that consistent with international and GCC standards by the industry and economy that will be useful for various statistic stakeholders and target foreign investors. The annual and quarterly surveys aim to ensure Bahrain's dissemination of comprehensive statistics for both financial and non-financial sectors in Bahrain's Balance of Payments and International Investment Positions.

The quarterly business perception surveys report the situation and expectations (outlook) of business performance of surveyed establishments with Business Confidence indicators reported per quarter accompanied with current overall Business Confidence Index. The perception surveys also report the investment environment by industry, type of investments and size of establishments (micro, small, medium or large). 

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a current economic and social index designed to measure changes over time in the overall level of consumer prices and the services households receive, utilize or pay for consumption.

This can be achieved by measuring the cost of purchasing a specific basket of goods and services of quality as well as fixed attributes while selecting the products in the basket to represent household expenditures within one year. 

The National Accounts are considered some of the most vital economy planning tools in the country as they are means of measuring the economic activity’s overall results. Relevant information of such activity is displayed in an integrated digital format which assists decision-makers in setting economic policies.

The National Accounts department prepares four quarterly reports for all economic activities in a production method with current and constant prices in addition to its annual report that comprises up-to-date detailed data for different economic aspects. The GDP is included in the form of production, expenditure and income at current and constant prices.