According to the directives of the team, the first of His Excellency Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Civil Defense Council, Lieutenant -General Tariq bin Hassan Al Hassan, Head of Public Security, Chairman of the National Committee for Civil Emergency Administration, inaugurated this morning, the first phase of the “Emergency Airports Ready” project (GARD), during the official signing that was held in cooperation with the Ministry of Communications and Communications, Bahrain Airport Company, and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and DHL International
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The project aims to enhance national capabilities in the field of preparation and emergency preparedness in the civil aviation sector, by developing an integrative response plans for natural and industrial risks, and modernizing the airports management protocols, in line with the best international logistical standards approved.
The head of the Public Security stressed, during his speech, that the launch of this project comes within the vision of the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain towards building a more flexible and efficient national response system, noting that airports are strategic facades of a sovereign and economic nature, which requires high level of readiness to deal with various emergency scenarios, including natural disasters, technical accidents, and biological and radiological emergencies.
His Excellency appreciated the joint efforts between government agencies and international partners, praising the pioneering role played by DHL in supporting this global program, as well as the technical and technical support provided by the United Nations Development Program in this vital field.
For his part, Hussein Al -Shuail, Acting Undersecretary of Civil Aviation Affairs at the Ministry of Communications and Communications, pointed out the importance of the Gard program as a pivotal step towards raising the readiness of the civil aviation sector to deal with emergency and natural disasters in the Kingdom. This cooperation enhances the efficiency of the infrastructure of Bahrain International Airport, and ensures the continuity of vital logistical processes in exceptional circumstances. Stressing in this regard the full commitment to support the implementation of the program’s outputs, looking forward to enhancing cooperation with the partners in a way that contributes to achieving the highest standards of preparation and operational safety.
For his part, Mohamed Youssef Al -Banqafah, CEO of Bahrain Airport Company, praised the fruitful and constructive cooperation with the Executive Office of the National Civil Emergency Management Committee, the Ministry of Communications and Communications, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the DHL Global Group, in implementing the “GARD), which is a successful model for international cooperation in a way that contributes to enhancing the efficiency and security of the sector Civil aviation in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
Al -Banqafah expressed his pride in the joining of Bahrain International Airport as the first airport in the Arab Gulf region to this global program, which aims to enhance the airport’s readiness to deal with emergency and natural disasters efficiently and flexible.
Stressing the firm commitment of Bahrain Airport to adopt international best practices and standards in crisis management, and the continuous work to update emergency protocols, and to cooperate with various partners at the airport to develop national competencies, which contributes to supporting national emergency and natural disaster management efforts.
The GARD project is one of the leading global initiatives that was launched in the wake of lessons extracted from natural disasters that affected the work of airports in multiple regions of the world, where the project provides readiness assessments, qualitative emergency plans, and practical training to simulate crises, which contributes to strengthening the national security and public safety system.
At the end of the ceremony, the executive schedule of the first stage of the project, which includes field evaluation workshops, was announced specialized training for emergency cadres at the airport, and the development of the Bahrain International Emergency Airport response plan.
