Manama: As part of government efforts to improve and re-engineer services, the Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) launched the upgraded service for subscribing to and enquiring about applications for the Positioning Reference Network (PRN), a new digital service designed to facilitate and accelerate access to PRN services, improve subscription procedures and support the service's digital transformation.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the PRN is Bahrain's official and approved network for determining precise locations and coordinates, providing high-accuracy positioning services for various works and projects across the government and private sectors. It supports surveying, engineering, construction, infrastructure, and real estate activities, contributing to greater accuracy in work carried out across the Kingdom.
Under the upgraded service, the processing time has been reduced from two working days to one working day. Application procedures have been moved to a fully integrated electronic process, achieving 100% digitalisation, while the number of application steps has been reduced from five to four and the required approvals have been reduced by at least 25%. The procedures have also been simplified to improve the user experience.
The development also covers the enquiry service for PRN subscription applications. Beneficiaries can now access the service through the SLRB website at www.slrb.gov.bh and automatically check their application status, instead of enquiring by email or visiting the Bureau in person and waiting for the application to be reviewed. The enquiry process has been reduced from three steps to two and fully digitalised, with results provided automatically rather than within a processing time of up to one working day. The development also includes improvements to the user interface and experience, unified service information across different channels, and a reduction of at least 25% in the service-level agreement.
Bassem bin Yaqoob Al Hamer, President of the SLRB, said the service forms part of the Bureau's adoption of innovative digital solutions to improve service efficiency and streamline procedures.
He highlighted the importance of developing the service given the PRN's vital role in supporting surveying, engineering, construction, and real estate activities and infrastructure projects in Bahrain. He noted that the network has more than 300 accounts and recorded around 36,000 uses since the beginning of 2026, totalling more than 22,000 hours of use during the first half of the year, reflecting the extent to which it is relied upon for works and projects requiring highly accurate spatial data and coordinates.
Al Hamer added that these figures underscore the importance of continuing to develop network-related services and making access faster and easier to meet the needs of beneficiary sectors and support the continuity and efficiency of their work.
As part of ongoing government efforts to develop and re-engineer government services, more than 1,300 government services have been documented, translated, and published, with around 800 services undergoing development and re-engineering across various government sectors.
This is based on proposals and feedback received through the National System for Suggestions and Complaints, Tawasul, investor feedback, and secret shopper reports evaluating government services, as well as the launch of guidance manuals and service level agreements.
These efforts contribute to improving procedural efficiency, enhancing service quality, strengthening beneficiary experience, and supporting the government's digital transformation journey.