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Bahrain SMS Best Practices, Compliance, and Features
Bahrain SMS Market Overview
Locale name:
Bahrain
ISO code:
BH
Region
Middle East & Africa
Mobile country code (MCC)
426
Dialing Code
+973
Market Conditions: Bahrain has a highly developed mobile market with widespread SMS usage across both consumer and business segments. The country's major mobile operators include Batelco, Zain Bahrain, and STC Bahrain, providing comprehensive network coverage. While OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger are popular for personal communications, SMS remains crucial for business communications, especially for authentication, notifications, and marketing purposes. The market shows a relatively even split between Android and iOS devices, with both platforms well-supported for SMS services.
Key SMS Features and Capabilities in Bahrain
Bahrain offers robust SMS capabilities with support for concatenated messages and alphanumeric sender IDs, though two-way SMS functionality is limited for commercial communications.
Two-way SMS Support
Two-way SMS is not supported for commercial communications in Bahrain. Businesses should implement alternative communication channels such as web-based feedback forms, email response systems, or WhatsApp Business API integration for two-way communication needs.
Concatenated Messages (Segmented SMS)
Support: Yes, concatenation is supported, though availability may vary based on sender ID type. Message length rules: Messages are automatically split into segments when exceeding 140 bytes, with specific carrier delivery patterns. Encoding considerations: Both GSM-7 and UCS-2 encoding are supported, with UCS-2 particularly important for Arabic character support.
MMS Support
MMS messages are automatically converted to SMS with an embedded URL link. This conversion ensures message delivery while providing access to multimedia content through web links. Best practice is to use short URLs and include clear instructions for accessing the content.
Recipient Phone Number Compatibility
Number Portability
Number portability is fully implemented in Bahrain. This requires:
Regular database cleaning
Real-time number validation APIs
Monitoring delivery receipts for carrier changes
Sending SMS to Landlines
SMS cannot be sent to landline destination numbers in Bahrain. Attempts to send SMS to landlines will result in a 400 response with error code 21614, and no charges will be incurred. The message will not appear in delivery logs.
Compliance and Regulatory Guidelines for SMS in Bahrain
Bahrain's SMS communications are regulated by the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and must comply with the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL). All businesses must adhere to strict guidelines regarding consent, privacy, and message content.
Consent and Opt-In
Explicit Consent Requirements:
Written or electronic confirmation required before sending any marketing messages
Clear disclosure of message frequency and purpose
Separate consent needed for different types of communications
Documentation of consent must be maintained for audit purposes
Best Practices for Consent Collection:
Use double opt-in verification
Maintain detailed consent records including timestamp and source
Regularly update consent status
Provide clear terms and conditions during opt-in
HELP/STOP and Other Commands
Mandatory Keywords: STOP, UNSUBSCRIBE, and HELP must be supported
Language Support: Commands must be recognized in both English and Arabic
Response Time: Acknowledge opt-out requests within 24 hours
Implementation: Include opt-out instructions in every marketing message
Do Not Call / Do Not Disturb Registries
While Bahrain doesn't maintain a centralized DNC registry, businesses must:
Maintain their own suppression lists
Honor opt-out requests immediately
Remove numbers within 24 hours of request
Implement proactive filtering systems
Regular database cleaning to remove inactive numbers
Time Zone Sensitivity
Sending Hours:
Restrict sending to 8:00 AM - 9:00 PM local time (GMT+3)
Exceptions allowed for critical service updates or security notifications
Consider Ramadan timing adjustments
Respect Friday prayer times (approximately 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM)
Phone Numbers Options and SMS Sender Types for in Bahrain
Alphanumeric Sender ID
Operator network capability: Fully supported across all networks Registration requirements: No pre-registration required, dynamic usage supported Sender ID preservation: Yes, sender IDs are preserved as specified
Long Codes
Domestic vs. International:
Domestic long codes not supported
International long codes fully supported
Sender ID preservation: Yes, original sender ID preserved Provisioning time: Typically 1-2 business days Use cases: Ideal for transactional messages and two-factor authentication
Short Codes
Support: Not currently supported in Bahrain Provisioning time: N/A Use cases: N/A
Restricted SMS Content, Industries, and Use Cases
Prohibited Content:
Political messaging
Gambling and betting
Adult content
Religious propaganda
Cryptocurrency promotions
Regulated Industries:
Financial services require TRA approval
Healthcare messages must comply with Ministry of Health guidelines
Educational institutions need Ministry of Education authorization
Content Filtering
Carrier Filtering Rules:
URLs must be from approved domains
Message content screened for prohibited terms
Character encoding must be properly implemented
Tips to Avoid Blocking:
Avoid excessive punctuation
Use approved URL shorteners
Maintain consistent sender IDs
Include clear business identification
Best Practices for Sending SMS in Bahrain
Messaging Strategy
Keep messages under 160 characters when possible
Include clear call-to-action
Use personalization tokens thoughtfully
Maintain consistent branding
Sending Frequency and Timing
Limit to 4-6 messages per month per recipient
Respect religious and national holidays
Avoid sending during prayer times
Space out messages appropriately
Localization
Support both Arabic and English
Right-to-left text formatting for Arabic
Consider cultural sensitivities
Use local date and time formats
Opt-Out Management
Clear opt-out instructions in every message
Process opt-outs within 24 hours
Maintain comprehensive opt-out logs
Regular audit of opt-out compliance
Testing and Monitoring
Test across all major carriers (Batelco, Zain, STC)
Monitor delivery rates by carrier
Track engagement metrics
Regular performance reporting
SMS API integrations for Bahrain
Twilio
Twilio provides a robust SMS API with comprehensive support for Bahrain. Integration requires an Account SID and Auth Token from your Twilio dashboard.
import{ Twilio }from'twilio';// Initialize Twilio client with environment variablesconst client =newTwilio( process.env.TWILIO_ACCOUNT_SID!, process.env.TWILIO_AUTH_TOKEN!);asyncfunctionsendSMS(to:string, message:string){try{// Send SMS with proper Bahrain formattingconst response =await client.messages.create({ body: message, to:`+973${to}`,// Bahrain country code from: process.env.TWILIO_PHONE_NUMBER,// Optional: statusCallback for delivery tracking statusCallback:'https://your-webhook.com/status'});console.log(`Message sent successfully: ${response.sid}`);return response;}catch(error){console.error('Error sending message:', error);throw error;}}
Sinch
Sinch offers direct carrier connections in Bahrain with support for Unicode and concatenated messages.