Manama : The Survey and Land Registration Bureau has streamlined its building age verification service, enabling representatives of the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture to verify the age of buildings over 50 years old before demolition permits are issued, where official records do not contain the necessary information.
The service supports the preservation of buildings with architectural and historical value while improving the efficiency of demolition permit procedures.
The upgraded service is now fully electronic, eliminating the need for postal correspondence and paper documents. Applicants can track requests and access technical reports directly through the system.
Processing time has been reduced from three days to one working day, while the improvements include a 50% reduction in required documents, a reduction of at least 25% in the service-level agreement timeframe, and a maximum of four application steps. The upgrade also features a fully digital process, a more user-friendly interface, simplified procedures, electronic application forms and consistent service information across official channels.
Naji Sabt Salem, Director General of Survey at the Bureau, said the upgrade would improve coordination between government entities and provide faster, more accurate access to information, supporting decisions on demolition permits and enhancing government service delivery.
Salem added that the service supports the implementation of laws and decisions issued by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture concerning buildings over 50 years old, which form part of Bahrain’s architectural heritage. Determining the age of these buildings can be challenging when construction records are missing or incomplete, despite being a key requirement before demolition permits can be issued.
As part of ongoing government efforts to improve and re-engineer public services, more than 1,300 government services have been documented, translated and published, with 800 undergoing development and re-engineering across various sectors.
These improvements draw on feedback submitted through the national Tawasul suggestions and complaints system, investor feedback and mystery shopper reports evaluating government services. The initiatives also include the introduction of guidance manuals and service-level agreements to streamline procedures, improve service quality, enhance user experience and advance government digital transformation.
