* BTN COMPANY OVERVIEW
* BAHRAIN METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE OVERVIEW
* METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES IN BAHRAIN

BTN COMPANY OVERVIEW

A Tradition of Leadership

Bahrain TradaNet W.L.L. (BTN) is a leading E. Commerce services company based in Bahrain. The company is a joint venture between GE Information Services, a world leader in E. Commerce, Gulf TradaNet E.C. a regional E.Commerce development company, and NESMA, a leading Gulf conglomerate and Internet Services Provider.

GE Information Services a key strategic partner of BTN is a recognised global leader with over 30 years of experience in delivering E. Commerce based business productivity solutions. GE Information Services currently manage the world's largest business to business electronic trading community of over 100,000 trading partners located around the globe. GE extended its leadership to the UK market over 10 years ago by establishing the TradaNet Service in 1987, which quickly became a success. The TradaNet service has since achieved over 60% share of the UK E.Commerce market.

E. Commerce Service Providers around the world, including the PTT's and Government Bodies, have been keen to replicate this success in their own countries. In response to this market need GE have made the E.Commerce technology available for implementation on a national or community basis. This technology has since been acquired by E.Commerce service providers in over 40 countries which makes it the defacto world standard for delivering business-to-business E.Commerce services.

Bahrain TradaNet services are based on the GE E.Commerce technology supported by the technical and business skills of the world's leading E.Commerce supplier. This well proven technology along with the added advantage of GE partnership provides our clients a unique combination of service reliability and access to a wealth of global E.Commerce solutions and expertise accumulated over three decades.

BTN Mission

BTN's mission is to provide total solutions for business-to-business E.Commerce and supply chain management to help its clients increase productivity and competitive advantage. To achieve this mission BTN has established a leading edge E.Commerce infrastructure in Bahrain that can support electronic exchange of trade transaction documents, and information electronically in a highly secure environment. In addition BTN has developed professional skills in business process consulting, systems integration, and trading community management, which are the key components of building successful electronic trading communities.

With this background and resources BTN's is strongly positioned as an integrator of total E.Commerce solutions for implementation at large scale electronic trading communities on a national as well international level. We integrate best of breed technology from around the world to build leading edge solutions. These solutions help companies to inter-network with their business partners around the world through the power of E.Commerce.

BTN Added Value - Commitment to the Local Market

BTN's has made a large investment in building a robust infrastructure for E. Commerce service delivery in Bahrain, which demonstrates a strong commitment to the local market. In addition BTN has gone through a process of adapting the E.Commerce solutions to suite the local market needs. A professional support organisation, resident in Bahrain ensures a high level of performance and customer service for BTN clients.

BTN also has strategic co-operation arrangements with leading industry experts and pioneers in E.Commerce to share their experience and best practices with BTN's clients. This approach provides our clients with the best in technology as well as industry expertise to help them maximise returns on their investment in E.Commerce. Such exchange of experience and skills is an integral part of the BTN's solution approach, and is achieved through knowledge/best practices sharing sessions with successful E.Commerce communities.

BTN prides itself as a Bahraini company that has quickly established a leadership position in the Gulf E.Commerce market. BTN achieved an early breakthrough in the market with the award of a long-term franchise from Bahrain government to be the exclusive provider of E.Commerce services to the Air Cargo Community in Bahrain. This was achieved through our focus on serving the local market needs and our commitment to the long-term development of E.Commerce in Bahrain.

BAHRAIN METEOROLOGICAL OFFICE OVERVIEW

Introduction.

The Meteorological Directorate is a government department and is part of the Civil Aviation Authority, which itself comes under the authority of the Ministry of Transportation. The Director of Meteorology is, in the first instance, responsible to the Assistant Under Secretary for Aviation Services.

Meteorological Directorate Sections.

Operations and Climatology.

1. Operations.

This section is headed by the Chief of Operations and Climatology and is probably the most important section in that all the meteorological output is generated here. The observing is done from this section and all the analysis of meteorological data is done which results in the forecast output. The 31 staff are either Senior meteorologists, Meteorologists, or Forecasting support staff. Most of the work is nowadays computer based, with the latest in meteorological technology.

2. Climatology.

There are 9 staff working under the Head of Climatology in this section. Their job is to collate all the recorded data for incorporation into the station records, which date back to 1947. They also operate the CLICOM system which is a global system for collating statistics. In fact, Bahrain is the CLICOM training centre for the Asia region of the WMO. The meteorological observers belong to this section.

Research and Information.

1. Research and Development.

This small section will shortly be inaugurated. It will comprise of two staff who will carry out research on an ad hoc basis to improve our knowledge of the regional weather systems and patterns.

2. Met. Information & Computer Applications.

A small section consisting of two persons dealing with all aspects of meteorological information and computing.

3. Marketing and Follow-Up Group.

This section is concerned with marketing all meteorological products to industry, commerce, the media, and marine activities groups, and has 3 staff.

Services Provided by BMS.

1. Military

Marine, aviation and general forecasts supplied to the Amiri Airforce, the Amiri Navy, the BDF and all allied forces operating in and around Bahrain.

2. Media:

Forecasts and reports supplied to the Press, radio and TV on a daily basis.

3. Aviation.

Forecast of upper winds and temperatures from the surface to the outer boundaries of the atmosphere if necessary, but routinely to 39,000 ft, and for any part of the globe. Copies of these products are supplied with significant weather charts to all airline operators departing from, or transiting through, Bahrain International airport.

4. Marine Activities

Forecasts of wind and weather and sea state for all Bahrain sea areas. A marine forecast is also issued twice daily for the whole Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman with its approaches.

5. General Public.

Weather forecasts issued three times daily, with updates, through the media and Batelco telephone service. Forecasts are also regularly supplied to bodies concerned with Health, Environment, Industry, commerce and agriculture.

6. Staff.

In order to fulfil these commitments the BMS employs a total of 53 specialist staff, which includes a Director, a Chief of Operations and Climatology, Heads of the various sections, Senior meteorologists, Meteorologists, forecasting support staff, administrators and various ancillary staff.

History

1902 The first meteorological office to be installed in Bahrain was opened in 1902 by the British Royal Air Force and was a simple climatological station which recorded temperatures, rainfall amounts and pressure.
1943 A full meteorological office was established at Muharraq by the Royal Air Force and full 24 hour service to aviation.
1956 Bahrain radio broadcasting station began to include the weather forecast issued by the Met. Office in their news programme.
1968 The first two Bahrainis joined the Met. Office and began their training as meteorological observers.
1972 Responsibility for the meteorological office was transferred to Bahrain under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Directorate and a comprehensive development programme was initiated.
1975 Bahrain TV began to broadcast weather forecasts issued by the Met. Office.
1975 The Civil Aviation Directorate began the training of Bahrainis as forecasters.
1979 Bahrain joined the meteorological section of the Arab League.
1980 Bahrain joined the World Meteorological Organisation in time to participate in the second regional conference held in Geneva, Switzerland.
1981 A decree was issued from the high Council for Civil Aviation to enable the Met utilities to become the National Centre for Meteorology.
1985 A weather radar and advanced satellite receiving equipment were installed to improve safety in both aviation and marine activities.
1986 The Met. Office transferred from the old Civil Aviation Directorate building at the airport to temporary portacabin accommodation at Arad to await the building of a the new office complex which it occupies today.
1986 The first computer was installed mid way through 1986.
1986 A seismological section equipped with latest technology was introduced and the Climate section was further developed.
1986 Work commenced on the new office complex.
1988 The new office complex was completed and staff and equipment were moved to the now permanent accommodation.
1988 A WMO expert visited Bahrain to implement the CLICOM project and to train staff.
1992 Bahrain Met. Office was linked into the Global Telecommunications System(GTS) through the regional centre at Jeddah.
1993 Equipment designed to measure solar radiation and UVB, and an automatic raingauge were installed.
1993 An MDD(Meteorological Data Distribution) service was installed to receive weather information via the European Satellite(EUMETSAT).
1995 A RVR(Runway Visual Range) system and new anemometers were installed along the runway.
1997 A new computerised forecaster workstation(TAIF) in line with Bahraini specifications, and a Doppler computer based radar system were installed.
1998 The Meteorological Section was upgraded to a Directorate.
1999 Full automation was introduced for the production and distribution of output.
2000 Six automatic weather stations are due to be installed in and around Bahrain to improve the meteorological observation coverage.

METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES IN BAHRAIN

There has been a meteorological service in Bahrain for over half a century and the first observation service was set up as early as 1902.

The establishment of an RAF base in the 1940’s saw a major development in these services but the greatest strides in development have been made over the last decade during which technology, linked to today’s super-computers has gone beyond what seemed impossible only a few short years ago.

Information is the life-blood of any meteorological service. Without up-to-date weather data the meteorologist is no better placed to forecast the weather than any experienced seaman or farmer.

Throughout the entire world, meteorological observers go out and record the actual weather conditions prevailing at their location at exactly the same time, and this happens on the hour, every hour, throughout the day and night, and indeed the whole year.

This information is coded up into what is the only truly global language and sent to main distribution centres with such speed that an office such as Bahrain, has its own weather observation back within the hour along with all the others made at the same time throughout the world if they are required.

This weather data is then plotted in symbolic form onto a weather chart for analysis by the weather forecaster. The chart is analysed for pressure distribution and occurring significant weather. From this the forecaster, who is a highly trained specialist in atmospheric physics and thermo-dynamics begins to forecast wind direction and strengths, development of the various weather systems and so on.

He is aided nowadays by forecast information generated in numerical models of the global atmosphere and produced in very quick time by some of the largest and fastest super-computers in the world. In addition and for purely local weather forecasts he has frequent satellite pictures showing cloud conditions over the whole region, and a computerised Doppler radar for tracking local weather systems and their development.

The meteorological service in Bahrain produces weather forecasts for aviation, both civil and military, marine activities, agriculture, hydrology among many other services, including live broadcasts to radio and television. Press forecasts are also issued on a daily basis. The service is shortly to install the latest in technology for producing weather graphics for TV and a daily live presentation is planned for the near future.

All aircraft flying into Bahrain International Airport are issued with a Met folder before they are allowed to take off again. This is mandatory and is an international obligation.

The folder contains forecast weather conditions for the aircraft’s destination and alternate sites, as well as for locations along the route. It also contains forecast upper wind speed and directions and temperatures for seven standard levels up to approximately 40, 000ft above ground level and occasionally up to 60,000ft when Concorde flies through. The folder also contains forecast significant weather for high levels and denotes jet-streams positions and strengths (sometimes up to 250MPH) as well as areas of thunderstorm activity, clear air turbulence, and erupting volcanoes. As a matter of interest, Mount Etna in Sicily has been denoted on our charts continually for the last 8 months!

To provide these essential services, Bahrain Meteorological Service employs a staff of approximately 60, headed by a Director, most of them highly trained specialists who periodically attend refresher and specialised courses in foreign institutes so that they are always right up to date in their techniques and knowledge.