Manama : Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, inaugurated the 6th National Occupational Safety and Health Conference and Exhibition. The event is organised by the Ministry of Labour and the Occupational Safety and Health Council under the theme Enhancing proactive protection through smart technologies.
Representatives of civil society organisations, the three production parties, and several occupational safety and health experts and specialists also attended the event.
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, is continuing to modernise its occupational safety and health system to ensure that it remains responsive to global developments, contributing to the provision of a safe working environment and the protection of human capital, which is a key asset and a foundation for development efforts and initiatives.
The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that government strategies in this sector prioritise continuous alignment with the requirements of rapid technological transformations through the ongoing development of legislative and legal frameworks, ensuring the adoption of best practices.
Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah highlighted that the shift towards employing artificial intelligence solutions and advanced technological systems has become an urgent necessity to anticipate and mitigate risks. He also underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation with specialised international organisations and investing in scientific research and training to build capabilities able to manage modern safety systems efficiently and effectively.
The Deputy Prime Minister commended the effective partnership with the private sector, which continues to produce positive and tangible results in compliance with preventive requirements. In this regard, he recalled the positive results of implementing the midday work ban during the current summer, which reflects shared awareness and responsibility regarding the importance of protecting workers from injuries and heat stress, while supporting sustained productivity and performance efficiency across various sectors.
Yousif bin Abdulhussain Khalaf, Minister of Labour and Minister of Legal Affairs, affirmed that developing the occupational safety and health system is a top priority within the comprehensive development process under the leadership of His Majesty the King and the directives of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
He highlighted the particular significance of the conference being held during the celebration of the Year of Isa Al Kabeer, noting that the early provision of safety care for divers through the floating hospital during the era of His Highness Isa Al Kabeer, Ruler of Bahrain and its Dependencies, represented a pioneering model in this domain. He said that current developments in the safety sector constitute a natural extension of those established values, which have been strengthened under the reign of His Majesty the King.
Minister Khalaf thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for inaugurating the conference, which contributed to consolidating its position as a leading professional forum for exchanging expertise and learning about the latest preventive practices. This enables the ministry to continue updating legislation, enhancing awareness and oversight, and encouraging the use of smart technologies to anticipate and manage risks in a manner that ensures labour market stability.
