History & Timeline | Survey and Land Registration Bureau

In 1924, the foundation of the Survey and Land Registration Bureau was laid with the creation of the 'Tapu Department,' its initial name.

This name, steeped in historical significance, reflects the early stages of formalised land administration and underscores the Bureau's enduring legacy. The department's establishment aimed to systematically organize and register all properties within the Kingdom of Bahrain, thereby safeguarding both public rights of the state and the private rights of its citizens. Its initial task was to conduct a comprehensive survey of all properties across the country, culminating in the ‘General Survey Register’. Completed in 1926, this register became the official and recognised reference point for documenting public and private land ownership.

Reflecting the evolving property sector, the Bureau's name was amended to the "Land Registration Department" in 1967. A significant organisational shift occurred in 2003 with the amalgamation of the Survey Department, established in 1978 under the Ministry of Housing. This merger, formalised by Law Decree No. (43) of 2003, resulted in the Bureau's current name: the 'Survey and Land Registration Bureau'.

1920 - 1929

1924

Establishment of the Tapu Department (currently known as the Survey and Land Registration Bureau).

1926

Completion of the first comprehensive survey in the Kingdom of Bahrain, documented in the "General Survey Register"

1960 - 1969

1967

Renaming of the "Tapu Department" to the "Land Registration Department."

1970 - 1979

1978

Creation of the Survey Department under the Ministry of Housing, according to Decree No. (2) of 1978 (11/3/1978).

1978

Establishment of the Marine Survey Office within the Survey Directorate

1980 - 1989

1983

Conversion of maps at a scale of 1:1000 to digital format using aerial photography.

2000 - 2009

2002

Organisation of the Land Registration Bureau under Royal Decree No. (39) of 2002 (14/10/2002).

2002

Transition of the issuance of survey certificates and maps from paper format to electronic format.

2003

Reorganisation of the Bureau by merging the Survey Department and changing the name to the "Survey and Land Registration Bureau" in accordance with Legislative Decree No. (43) of 2003 (19/4/2003).