He was speaking at a presentation as part of the Middle East: Homeland and Global Security Forum, at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.
Shaikh Ahmed said the initiative will provide better protection against illegal immigration, terrorism and organised crime.
He revealed that Gulf Air was already participating in the e-borders project and other airlines such as Emirates, Oman Air and Etihad Airways would soon join the scheme.
"Hopefully by the first quarter of next year it will include 80 per cent of traffic into Bahrain," said Shaikh Ahmed.
"This allows us to vet someone before they come into the port of entry and it is better to relieve ourselves of a problem before that person enters the country.
"It will help identify inadmissible passengers as early as possible and plan interventions in cases of interest."
He said that the need for electronic records was becoming increasingly important, as visitors to Bahrain are expected to double to 21 million in the coming years.
"Around seven million people come to the country every year and with the extension of Bahrain International Airport it will increase two-fold."
Shaikh Ahmed said, as part of the scheme, visitors who check into all five-star and some four-star hotels already have their date of birth, passport number and check in data forwarded to a central database.
Other agencies will have access to the system, if required, including embassies and he said the project would eventually be extended to include all service apartments.
The session was chaired by Interior Ministry Assistant Under-Secretary for Planning and Organisation Colonel Khalid Abdulla Bu Ali.
Labour Market Regulatory Authority chief executive Ali Radhi, Interior Ministry Assistant Under-Secretary for Administration Affairs Brigadier Bassim Yacqoob Al Hamar and chief executive officer of the national e-government programme Mohammed Al Qaed spoke at the meeting.
The project is being developed in co-ordination with Geneva-based air transport communications company SITA and the Central Informatics Organisation in Bahrain and is based on a similar system operated in Australia.
Shaikh Ahmed revealed that the process starts when a passenger buys a plane ticket or applies for an electronic visa and will include their personal details and a movement record.
He denied the move would affect civil liberties and said it would simplify the travel process for majority of passengers and ensure security.
"The information on every passenger is there on the flight manifest right now," said Shaikh Ahmed.
"But if we can better use the information we are getting to ensure security and at the same time process bona fide travellers from the inadmissible ones, that will be something of an achievement."
Autor(en)/Author(s): Geoffrey Bew
Quelle/Source: Gulf Daily News, 20.11.2007
