Bahrain showcased yesterday a first of its kind Long Range Identification and Tracking of Ships (LRIT) system that could track the location of ships within a radius of 1,000 nautical miles.
"Bahrain is not only the first Arab country to fully implement the LRIT system, but also among the first in the world," said Hassan Ali Al Majed, Director General of GOP.
The General Organisation of Sea Ports (GOP) conducted a two day regional training workshop on the LRIT System in the Kingdom yesterday.
Maritime professionals from Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates participated in the workshop, which was supported by an expert team from a UK-based company, Pole Star Space Application Ltd.
"This is a part of the GOP's overall strategy to further develop and continue the roll out of the LRIT system to the rest of the region. Not only will this benefit Bahrain in the long run, but also help the regional maritime industry in the establishment of a Cooperative Data Centre in the region."
"This will help strengthen our maritime capabilities and position Bahrain as a leading player in the maritime industry."
Pole Star Space Application manages the Bahrain National Data Centre besides communicating with other regional and other data centres, said Al Majed.
Additionally, the trainees were educated on ways and means to analyse information provided by the LRIT System to bolster safety, security and maritime search and rescue services in the region.
By K.V.S. Madhav
© Bahrain Tribune 2010
