Bahrain and Saudi Arabia sign MoU to launch Health Passport

Published 19 Nov,2021 via bizbahrain - The Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a ‘health passport’, which ensures that citizens and residents traveling between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia meet criteria set by both Kingdoms to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19). The move supports the efforts of the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The MoU was signed by iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed and SDAIA President, Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi at a ceremony at SDAIA’s premises in Riyadh, in the presence of Shaikh Hmood bin Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and other officials from both countries.

It aims to align the COVID-19 precautionary and monitoring measures of both Kingdoms to streamline traffic via the King Fahd Causeway. It capitalises on the technical compatibility of the BeAware Bahrain and Saudi’s ‘Tawakkalna’ apps by linking the health passport information hosted on the two apps with the two Kingdom’s main passport systems, which helps determine the eligibility of travelers based on COVID-19 health rules.