Describes the country's standards landscape, identifies the national standards and accreditation bodies, and lists the main national testing organization(s) and conformity assessment bodies.
Last Published: 2/12/2019

Overview

The Bahrain Standards and Metrology Directorate (BSMD) is the national standardization body of Bahrain.  It is a member of the Arab Industrial Development and Mining Organization (AIDMO), the Arab Center for Standardization and Metrology and a founder member of the Gulf Standardization Organization (GSO).  BSMD is a correspondent member of International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML), an ISO member, and implements the good regulatory practice of the WTO/Technical Barriers to Trade agreement.

Standards

The GCC Customs Union in theory requires member states to enforce unified standard across the region.  Bahraini standards are required to meet national requirements for safety, quality, and fitness for purpose as determined by respective technical committees in Bahrain.  Most often, Bahraini standards are adoptions of international or Gulf standards, and the development of standards in Bahrain is based on the following principles: a) no Bahraini standard is to be developed if there is an identical draft Gulf standard in existence, b) developing new Bahraini standards must not create trade barriers.

The Bahrain Standards and Metrology Directorate (BSMD - is a government institution within the MoICT.  It is responsible for issuing Bahrain’s standards, either by adopting as national standards the international or Gulf standards issued by the GCC Standards and Metrology Organization, or by preparing standards to meet national requirements.

The BSMD is led by a National Committee that acts as the Board of Directors.  This board, made up of representatives from relevant ministries and the Chamber of Commerce as well as individual experts, is the highest authority on standards and metrology in Bahrain.  The BSMD consists of two sections: the Standards and Information section and Quality Assurance and Metrology section.

Testing, inspection and certification

Most imported products can enter the market freely.  The BSMD has established an office in Khalifa Bin Salman Port in the Customs Department to check and approve all regulated products before they enter Bahrain.  Below is a list of products that are checked upon import into Bahrain:

  • Tires
  • Car batteries
  • Automobiles spare parts
  • Cement
  • Asbestos
  • Toys
  • Plastic bags
  • Tissue paper
  • Electric appliances
  • Cosmetics
  • Nutrition products
  • Weighing scales, weights, measuring tapes & meters
  • Air conditioners

Publication of technical regulations
The National Committee of the BDSM approves and issues procedures for the implementation of national standards.  The National Committee has approved several GCC standards as mandatory.  The committee issued these in the form of a ministerial order and published them in the Official Gazette.  The Official Gazette is available on the website of the Legal Affairs Directorate (Arabic only, www.legalaffairs.gov.bh).  Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are required under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement) to notify to the WTO proposed technical regulations and conformity assessment procedures that could affect trade.  Notify U.S. (www.nist.gov/notifyus) is a free, web-based e-mail registration service that captures and makes available for review and comment key information on draft regulations and conformity assessment procedures.  Users receive customized e-mail alerts when new notifications are added by selected country(ies) and industry sector(s) of interest and can request full texts of regulations.  This service and its associated web site are managed and operated by the USA WTO TBT Inquiry Point housed within the National Institute of Standards and Technology, part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

Contact Information

Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Tourism
Bahrain Standards & Metrology Directorate
Bahrain Financial Harbour (Harbour Gate)
P.O. Box 5479
Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain
Phone: (973) 1757-4871
Fax: (973) 1753-0730
E-mail: bsmd@moic.gov.bh
Website: www.moic.gov.bh/En/Commerce/StandardizationConsumerProtection/StandardsMetrologyDirectorate/Pages/index.aspx
 
GCC Gulf Standardization Organization
P.O. Box 85245
Riyadh 11691
Phone: (+ 966) 1 - 2746655
E-mail: gso@gso.org.sa
Website: www.gso.org.sa/gso-website/

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