Based on the directives of HE Shaikh Salman bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Head of Survey and Land Registration Bureau  (SLRB), Topographic Survey Directorate of the General Survey Directorate, launched the aerial photography project of Bahrain, on Monday, 1 November 2010, in collaboration with the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, the Ministry of the Interior, Bahrain Defence Force, the Ministry of Works, Electricity and Water Authority and Civil Aviation Affairs, in addition to the relevant private sector entities. The launch was attended by Shaikh Nawaf bin Ebrahim bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy CEO of Administrative & Financial Affairs, Electricity and Water Authority, Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Director General of HR & Information Systems, SLRB, Mr. Mohamed Noor Al Shaikh, the Assistant Undersecretary for Common Municipality Services, Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Engineer Naji Salim Sabt, the Director General of Survey, SLRB, Lieutenant Colonel Walid Al Hamdan, Director of Works Directorate, the Ministry of the Interior, and Engineer Wahid Hadi, Director General of Topographic Survey Directorate and the project manager. The attendees were briefed on the quality of the aircraft that will carry out the photography mission in addition to technical devices, equipment, cameras and navigation system used in the imaging process. This is the first cooperation of its kind among the Bahrain’s ministries to implement the aerial photography project for various regions in the Kingdom in order acquire a 3D digital model map.

It worth to mention that this cooperation among a group of concerned ministries is the first of its kind in terms of participation in a single project financially, professionally and technically, and whose outputs will be data, information and maps concerning the specialization of each of these institutions.

On this occasion, Shaikh Nawaf bin Ebrahim bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Deputy CEO of Administrative & Financial Affairs, Electricity and Water Authority, pointed out the importance of this strategic project so that the digital imaging accuracy and identification of characteristics of the true landmarks as they are on the ground, will have a significant impact in terms of accurate planning and implementation of all infrastructure projects. He also pointed out that the amendments to the plan on annual basis will enable the directorates, which are currently depend on a geographic information system, to complete their daily operations more effectively upon obtaining modern data of topographic maps.

 

On his part, Engineer Naji Salim Sabt, the Director General of Survey, SLRB, which is entrusted to implement this vital project said: “This project complements the strategic plans developed by SLRB, and will allow updating and production of topographic and quality maps, identify any changes that have taken place in the Kingdom of Bahrain due to the urban construction boom and monitor such changes through these photos and enter them into the geospatial data systems”.

 

 

“Modern technologies of aerial surveys will be used to obtain high accuracy of up to 10 centimeters and up to 5 cm as in the case of ancient areas in the cities of Manama and Muharraq. In addition, and for the first time, cameras with digital technology will be used to get more accurate and faster photos, compared to old cameras that used films in aerial photography in the Kingdom of Bahrain”, he added.


He also said that aerial photography operations were taken every five years or more, and because this is a long period and during which many topographic changes can take place, and hence such maps cannot be used of benefited from them, HE the Chairman of SLRB directed to reduce this period and find an alternative plan to carry out such process. Moreover, HE directed to involve the concerned government authorities and ministries to get the maximum benefit and implement the government strategic programs and projects on a cost-effective manner. Therefore, the General Survey Directorate changed its plan to carry out the aerial photography operations on annual basis, rather than every five years or more, but to cover certain parts and regions of Bahrain. The goal of such operation is to focus and make the most of aerial photographs to update the Kingdom’s digital maps data base to keep abreast with the urban changes and the construction boom, which covered most areas of Bahrain.

 

The Director General of Survey, SLRB, added that the implementation of this project will help meet the increasing demand for modern information by the users of modern aerial photographs, topographic maps and spatial data becuase engineers, planners and researchers cannot rely on old data and maps. In addition, another mission of the General Directorate of Survey is to keep archived records of the urban changes, and thus the GDS has digitally stored more than 25 thousand images dated back to 1947 on the servers of Topographic Survey Directorate.

On the other hand, Mr. Mohamed Noor Al Shaikh, the AUS for Common Municipality Services, Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, pointed out the importance of this vital project and stressed the need for coordination and partnership among government establishments to implement this kind of projects, which eventually serve the public interest, and will greatly benefit the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning. Moreover, the availability of such images and maps will facilitate the process of preparing detailed plans for the general structural scheme, and provide accurate sources to conduct modern studies of flat green land, which will contribute to the protection of green areas in the Kingdom.

“Such information will add great value in the field of urban control and inspection of construction and reclamation operations. This is a minor part of the benefits of this project, let alone reduces the burden on the Government's tasks in this area, and avoids duplication and efforts conflict. In addition, this project is one of the long-term strategic projects”, he added.

On his part, Shaikh Mohamed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Director General of HR & Information Systems, SLRB, said that under the guidance of HE Shaikh Salman bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Survey & Land Registration Bureau, a plan was developed to keep abreast with the visionary government plans and programs and in line with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. This is because the adoption of a five-year aerial photography is an absolute process; hence it was directed to allocate the necessary budgets for the implementation of this project. Our plans have already worked out and we were able to allocate the necessary budgets in cooperation with the concerned government authorities that take part in this project, which is one of the vital strategic projects and will benefit all the concerned government authorities. In this new experiment in which all the government authorities take part in one project, we have achieved the maximum benefit and cost-effective project. This, in turn, will make the optimum investment of government expenditure and contribute to the reduction and rationalization of government expenditure, avoid duplication in implementing works and projects.

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