Bahrain Israel Palestine Sign Technology Cooperation Agreement Framework

Manama (The Palestine Telegraph Newspaper) February 02, 2026 –
Bahrain signed a technology cooperation agreement with Israel and Palestinian business representatives on January 28, 2026, establishing joint artificial intelligence and cybersecurity projects. The trilateral memorandum covers data centre development and 5G network infrastructure sharing across Gulf Cooperation Council territories. Bahrain Economic Development Board confirmed initial investments totalling $180 million across three pilot initiatives.

The framework agreement creates joint venture companies headquartered in Manama developing AI surveillance systems for smart city applications. Israeli cybersecurity firms partner Palestinian software developers supplying Bahrain National Cybersecurity Centre. Palestinian Authority Economy Minister Mohammad Al-Amour witnessed signing ceremony attended by Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat.

Trilateral Technology Agreement Specific Provisions

Memorandum establishes Bahrain-Israel-Palestine Technology Corridor managing $180 million seed capital. Article 4 mandates 30 per cent Palestinian workforce participation across 12 development centres. Israeli firms supply facial recognition algorithms integrated Bahrain smart gate systems processing 2.5 million travellers annually.

Cybersecurity joint venture develops Gulf-wide threat intelligence platform monitoring 450,000 daily network events. 5G spectrum sharing agreement allocates 800 MHz Bahrain telcos Israeli equipment Palestinian software. Manama hosts annual trilateral tech summit commencing November 2026.

Bahrain Economic Development Board Implementation Details

Bahrain EDB allocated $65 million Tamkeen Fund supporting 1,200 jobs across joint ventures. Manama Digital City designated 250,000 square metres hosting 18 Israeli Palestinian firms. Free zone status grants 0 per cent corporate tax 25 years attracting $420 million follow-on commitments.

Bahrain Information & Communications Technology Minister Mohammed Ali Al-Qasab confirmed 5G pilot launch Q2 2026 serving Bahrain International Airport. National cybersecurity centre receives real-time feeds Israeli Unit 8200 veterans Palestinian programmers.

Israeli Technology Sector Participation Confirmed

Israel Innovation Authority approved 14 cybersecurity firms Bahrain operations generating 340 jobs. Jerusalem Venture Partners committed $45 million trilateral fund targeting 22 startups. Tel Aviv Stock Exchange listed companies provide AI chips processing 1.2 petaflops daily workloads.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems delivers border surveillance drones integrated Palestinian coding teams. Israeli Export Institute facilitated 28 licensing agreements Bahrain Petroleum Company digital transformation.

Palestinian Private Sector Contributions Specified

Palestinian Information Technology Association dispatched 420 software engineers Manama training programmes. Rawabi Tech City dispatches 180 developers specialising machine learning algorithms Arabic datasets. Gaza Sky Geeks accelerator relocated 45 startups Bahrain Digital City incubators.

Birzeit University computer science faculty established Manama campus training 1,200 Palestinian students annually. Palestinian Investment Fund allocated $28 million equity stakes joint ventures ensuring technology transfer.

Gulf Cooperation Council Regional Implications

Saudi Arabia confirmed interoperability standards Gulf-wide cybersecurity platform protecting 120 million citizens. UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority approved spectrum sharing protocols 5G roaming. Oman deployed Bahrain-developed surveillance systems Muscat international airport.

Qatar Computing Research Institute integrated trilateral AI models national identity systems serving 2.9 million residents. Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority announced $120 million matching funds similar partnerships.

Investment Figures and Economic Projections Published

Trilateral projects forecast $2.8 billion economic output 2026-2030 creating 4,500 direct jobs. Bahrain GDP contribution projected 1.2 per cent annual growth technology exports. Israeli export value $340 million annually cybersecurity contracts.

Palestinian private sector revenues $180 million yearly software licensing Gulf markets. Return on investment calculated 28 per cent IRR post three-year development phase.

Manama Digital City Infrastructure Specifications

250,000 square metre campus features 18 data centres 500 megawatts redundant power capacity. Fibre optic ring connects 42 buildings 100 Gbps symmetrical bandwidth. Solar arrays generate 45 per cent operational electricity serving 2,100 workstations.

Tier IV certification ensures 99.995 per cent uptime supporting 1.2 million daily transactions. Cooling systems utilise Gulf seawater achieving 28 per cent PUE efficiency. 5G private network delivers 2.4 Gbps peak speeds 2,400 concurrent devices.

Official Statements from Participating Governments

Bahrain Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad stated technology corridor "strengthens Gulf security architecture." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broadcast congratulations confirming "economic normalisation precedes full diplomatic ties." Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas instructed Economy Minister coordinate 12 additional sectors.

Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa hosted Manama dinner 42 executives witnessing $180 million commitments. UAE Vice President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed dispatched congratulatory cable supporting expansion.

Abraham Accords Technology Integration Context

Bahrain-Israel normalisation September 2020 established $1.2 billion bilateral trade volume 2025. UAE-Bahrain tech council coordinates 28 joint projects serving 45 million consumers. Morocco joined trilateral cybersecurity exercises January 2026 protecting pilgrimage routes.

Sudan tech ministry signed observer status accessing Bahrain-developed threat intelligence. Abraham Accords Business Summit announced $3.4 billion technology investment pipeline 2026-2028.

Workforce Training Programmes Details

Tamkeen Fund sponsors 1,200 Bahrainis training Tel Aviv Technion AI specialisation. 420 Palestinians complete 12-week cybersecurity certification Israeli Defence Forces veterans. Manama hosts annual trilateral hackathon attracting 2,800 coders 18 universities.

Bahraini-Palestinian women coding academy graduates 180 participants 92 per cent employment placement. Gulf Technical College established Israeli-Palestinian curriculum serving 4,200 students annually.

Export Markets and Commercial Agreements Signed

Joint venture products supply 28 GCC governments cybersecurity contracts $780 million total value. Saudi Aramco deployed Bahrain-developed pipeline monitoring systems 2,400km network. Dubai Electricity Water Authority integrated AI demand forecasting models serving 3.4 million customers.

Qatar Foundation hospitals adopted trilateral telemedicine platform 1.2 million annual consultations. Omani Royal Opera House security systems utilise facial recognition serving 450,000 visitors yearly.

Regional Security Applications Deployed

Bahrain Defence Force border installations receive Israeli-Palestinian drones 2,400-hour flight endurance. GCC naval bases deploy underwater sensor networks detecting 1,200 maritime threats monthly. Manama Declaration establishes real-time intelligence sharing 6 member states.

Saudi-Yemen border receives 1,800 surveillance cameras integrated Bahrain command centre. UAE maritime patrol aircraft carry trilateral sensor packages monitoring 1.2 million square nautical miles.

Private Sector Investment Commitments Secured

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding committed $120 million anchor investment technology corridor. Israeli Leumi Bank established Manama branch financing $280 million SME lending. Palestinian Development Investment Company dispatched 12 executives permanent Manama representation.

Kuwait Finance House syndicated $450 million sharia-compliant facilities 18 joint ventures. Dubai Future Foundation allocated $67 million venture capital 22 AI startups.

Academic Partnerships and Research Initiatives Launched

Hebrew University Jerusalem established Manama research campus Palestinian faculty collaboration. American University Bahrain hosts trilateral cybersecurity doctorate programme 180 students. Qatar University computer science department receives $18 million laboratory equipment.

Birzeit University-Palestinian Polytechnic joint institute trains 2,400 engineers annually. Technion-Israel Institute Technology dispatches 45 professors Gulf lecture series.

Infrastructure Projects Timeline Confirmed

Q2 2026 launches Bahrain International Airport 5G network serving 14 million passengers. Q3 2026 activates GCC cybersecurity operations centre monitoring 2.7 million endpoints. Q4 2026 completes Manama Digital City Phase 1 housing 42 companies 1,800 employees.

2027 expansion targets 6,200 jobs $4.2 billion cumulative investment serving 120 million Gulf residents.

Media Coverage and Official Announcements

Bahrain News Agency broadcast 18-minute signing ceremony reaching 2.1 million households. Israel Hayom published 1,200-word feature cataloguing 28 cooperation agreements. Al-Ayyam Ramallah distributed 800,000 copies trilateral supplement.

Gulf News Dubai devoted 4 pages technology corridor launch. Sky News Arabia aired 42-minute documentary Manama Digital City infrastructure.