Bahrain's Survey and Land Registration Bureau (SLRB) and Bahrain-based International Consortium (ICON) have agreed to make official Bahrain maps available to the public.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the SLRB and ICON.

'The Memorandum provides the framework for what we anticipate to a very meaningful, enduring and productive partnership between the public and private sector, aiding the SLRB's initiative to coincide with the Bahrain Vision 2030 plans and objectives,' said director-general of survey Naji Sabt.

The SLRB is continuing with the implementation of many initiatives to deliver improved service to customers in government, private companies and individual citizens. Several factors influence the implementation strategies including the ongoing rapid development of the kingdom and its consequent increase in the demand for appropriate infrastructure. Fundamental to the development of infrastructure are survey control, topographic mapping and secure land ownership. As the national mapping organisation of Bahrain, the SLRB is responsible for these activities.

ICON serves all of the Gulf region and works in conjunction with Kartographie Huber, Germany's market-leading provider of customer-oriented cartography, and one of the largest cartography companies worldwide, providing all map and geographic-related services, and publishing the world's most printed map. ICON also is the exclusive GCC partner of hot-maps, a leading provider of interactive online cartography on the Internet.

Using the spatial data that is to be provided by the SLRB, ICON will incorporate the art of cartography to produce the highest quality thematic maps of the kingdom.

'This information will be of great value and benefit to both organisations and individuals alike due to the many ways it may be applied to business or day-to-day life,' said ICON chief executive Rashed Shaheen.

Any interested public or private sector party and individuals may also commission ICON to develop specialised maps based on the official SLRB data.

Possible applications include tourist maps, GIS and LIS systems, maps of newly developed areas, road maps, and even interactive online maps showcasing Bahrain to visitors worldwide on the Internet.

In a growing kingdom that is continuously expanding, developing, and becoming more and more of a tourist destination, accurate mapping systems are a necessity.

ICON and SLRB aim to elevate Bahrain's mapping and cartography capabilities to the next level, opening the door to many new possibilities and international cartography.