People in Bahrain are now among the well-connected population in the GCC, as the country’s connectivity per person has reached 210.4 per cent, dwarfing the regional average of 135.37 per cent, according to the Arab Advisors Group.
The group measured Bahrain’s connectivity by adding together the household mainline telephone penetration, cellular penetration and internet users penetration rates within the country.
“Bahrain’s score of over 200 per cent indicates a well-connected population with a high percentage of citizens enjoying access to more than one mode of communication,” a press statement said.
Shaikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al Khalifa, chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said communication and connectivity lie at the heart of Bahrain’s vision to provide the best environment for business in the GCC.
“Businesses locating in Bahrain recognise the excellent ICT (information communications technology) infrastructure as one of the many advantages that moving to the Kingdom can bring,” Al Khalifa said.
Since its establishment in 2002, Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has issued 152 licences, eight of which are national fixed line providers.
The Oxford Business Group reported that Bahrain invested more of its gross domestic product in ICT than any other GCC country in 2006.
Major multi-national companies including Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Zain have ALSO chosen to establish regional offices in Bahrain.