Bahrain says it is the only country with a Data Embassy law, which lets foreign customers keep data stored in Bahrain under their home country's law. Commercial and other unsubsidised users have paid up to 32 fils per kWh since January 2026, about US$0.085. Personal data can leave Bahrain without approval only to countries on an official adequacy list.
Grid power for a large industrial user in Bahrain costs about US$0.095 per kWh as of September 2026, the country figure ArusGrid applies where a site has no published rate. The US export control position for advanced AI chips in Bahrain, as of 27 September 2026, is recorded as “Licence required as enforced (Country Group D:4), no named authorisation found”.
Approvals and licensing · Power · Incentives · Data rules · Water and cooling · On the clock · 2 projects in Bahrain
Legislative Decree No. 56 of 2018 lets foreign customers store data in Bahrain data centres under the law of their home country. In January 2026 the finance minister said Bahrain remained the only country with such a law.
Bahrain's government adopted a Cloud First policy in 2017 to move public IT spending toward cloud services. By January 2022 over 70% of systems from 72 government entities had moved to the cloud.
Bahrain is in US export control Country Group D:4. Since an October 2023 rule, exports of advanced AI chips to Country Groups D:1, D:4 and D:5 need a US licence.
EWA charges non-domestic and commercial users 22 fils per kWh for the first 5,000 units and 32 fils per kWh above that. At Bahrain's fixed exchange rate, 32 fils is about US$0.085.
The Cabinet raised the electricity tariff for unsubsidised users, including commercial users, from 29 fils to 32 fils per kWh from January 2026.
The minister responsible for electricity said in March 2026 that producing one kWh costs 33.1 fils. He said industrial users pay 25 fils, with the state covering the 8.1 fils gap.
Bahrain's Golden Licence, launched in April 2023, gives large investment projects priority processing and faster land allocation. Gulf Business reported that data centres were among the sectors it had supported by March 2024.
Article 12 of the Personal Data Protection Law (Law No. 30 of 2018) allows transfers abroad to places with adequate protection. Order No. 42 of 2022 lists these countries, and transfers elsewhere need case by case approval from the data protection authority.
Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) rules require licensees to get the CBB's prior written approval before entering any material cloud outsourcing arrangement. The rules also require encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit.
EWA charges non-domestic and commercial users 775 fils per cubic metre of water. The rate rose from 750 fils in January 2026.
Batelco signed a memorandum with Qareeb Data Centres in November 2024 for a site in southern Bahrain. The 140,000 square metre facility is planned to run fully on solar power.
Bahrain is connecting to the SeaMeWe-6 subsea cable, which runs from Singapore to France. It was expected to launch in early 2026.
What this research looked for and could not confirm from a primary or credible source. Listed so the gaps are visible.
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