Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister

The Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister is a Bahraini governmental body that serves as the administrative arm supporting the First Deputy Prime Minister in the execution of executive functions. It operates within the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Council of Ministers, assisting in the coordination of policy initiatives across various ministries and government agencies. The office is tasked with helping to implement the strategic directions set by the senior leadership of the state, including oversight of national development programmes and inter‑ministerial cooperation. As part of the executive branch, it contributes to the formulation of governmental decisions and ensures that directives from the First Deputy Prime Minister are communicated and acted upon throughout the administration. Its headquarters are located in Bahrain, placing it at the centre of the country’s political and administrative infrastructure. The office does not engage in commercial activities; its mandate is purely public‑service oriented, focused on the internal workings of the Bahraini government.

In July 2019 the Office of the First Deputy Prime Minister was among several Bahraini government entities targeted in a significant cyberattack that also affected the National Security Agency, the Ministry of Interior and critical infrastructure providers such as the Electricity and Water Authority. The attack resulted in system shutdowns and was attributed by U.S. intelligence sources to suspected Iranian state‑linked actors, although direct confirmation was not publicly established. The incident underscored the exposure of even secured governmental systems to sophisticated cyber threats and highlighted existing vulnerabilities in the nation’s digital defences. Local authorities reported that, prior to the attack, they had successfully intercepted millions of cyber threats, indicating a high volume of malicious activity directed at Bahraini networks during that period. As a governmental office, the organisation is owned by the State of Bahrain and operates under the authority of the Prime Minister’s Office, with no private shareholders or commercial subsidiaries. Its structural placement within the executive branch means it reports directly to the First Deputy Prime Minister and, ultimately, to the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers.