The WARDS of THe WaTerS

Bahrain’s Coast Guard plays a vital role in maintaining the security of the Kingdom’s coastline, from towing stricken pleasure craft back to shore to fending off unwanted ‘guests’ from international waters.

AS an island Kingdom, a well equipped and highly trained Coast Guard is hugely important to the security of the country. Their roles are many, from assisting stricken pleasure craft to enforcing maritime regulations, but their overall goal is the ongoing security and safety of Bahrain’s waters.

history

The very first seeds of Bahrain’s modernday Coast Guard were planted towards the end of the 1930s, with a captain, two sailors and a single vessel named ‘Hawar’, based by Muharraq Bridge under the supervision of the Bahrain government police.

It remained that way until 1945, when an additional four wooden ships were purchased, two under steam power, and two sailing ships used to transport goods and prisoners between Bahrain’s mainland and Jeddah, and the outlying islands such as Hawar.

In 1961 the Coast Guard became an independent unit operating under the command of the Bahrain government police. Government interest and support for this unit increased, resulting in a total fleet of 11 ships, and a total crew of 39.

The ongoing success of the Coast Guard’s operations resulted in the Ministry of Interior’s increased interest in developing their capabilities, and so in 1972 the Coast Guard was separated from the police and became a fully independent force responsible for the security and stability of the Coast of Bahrain.

In 1973, they were officially named the Bahrain Coast Guard.

On the 21st of April, 1980, His Highness

Shaikh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifa patronised the opening of the new Coast Guard Base in Muharraq, which incorporated many new departments including maintenance workshops, carpentry, electricity, a harbour and a lecture hall.

The Coast Guard began to sponsor Bahraini youth to be sent abroad to learn the latest marine sciences, as well as new training courses in Bahrain. They also trained with foreign coast guard services, gaining experience from countries such as America, Great Britain and Pakistan.

With the rapid economic development of Bahrain and resulting investment in maritime infrastructure and increase in shipping activity, the Coast Guard built a second base to monitor the southern end of Bahrain in Bander Al Dar. This base incorporated many departments including a multi-million dollar radar control room covering the entire of Bahrain’s territorial waters.

There is also now a third base located near to the King Fahd Causeway to Saudi Arabia to patrol the Western side of the island. The Coast Guard’s fleet now comprises more then 80 boats of varying sizes, from larger ships purchased in Spain, Turkey and the US to high-speed boats capable of intercepting almost any kind of vessel.

Should you ever require the Coast Guard’s assistance, an emergency helpline has been established, which you can reach on +973 17 700 000.

Sailing is by far the biggest activity for the yacht club.