The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) held a briefing today to unveil a blind-recognition feature, which is included in the new Bahrain banknotes, to be introduced soon by the CBB.

The new banknotes will be issued in the existing denominations of BD20, BD10, BD5, BD1 and BD1/2. No change is being made to the coins in circulation.

“The new family of banknotes includes, for the first time, a special feature to enable people with impaired vision to easily recognize each new banknote,” said Mr. Farid Zubari, Director, Currency Issue, at the CBB.

A series of short, raised lines, indicating the value of the note, appear at the top right on the front of each note. The BD1/2 has one line; BD1 has two lines; BD5 has three lines; BD10 has four lines and BD20 has five lines.

Today’s briefing, held at the Saudi-Bahraini Institute for the Blind (SBIB), also included the presentation of special brochure in Braille, which provides information about the new banknotes. The brochure has been produced by the CBB, in conjunction with the SBIB.

The CBB presented 500 copies of the Braille brochure to Ms Noora Mohammed Al Mannai, Board Member, SBIB and Mr. Abdul Wahid Khayat, Director of the SBIB by Mr. Zubari. Also present were Mr. Abdulla Al Sulaiti, Head, Currency Issue, at the CBB and Mr. Fahd Al Arabi, Head of Vault at the CBB.

Students of SBIB, gathered at the briefing session, also got a chance to feel and touch the new banknotes, to familiarize them with the blind-recognition feature.

The CBB will begin releasing the new banknotes into circulation in the coming few weeks, at a date to be announced soon.

The existing currency will remain a legal tender until further notice from the CBB. The new banknotes and the existing banknotes will co-circulate for a period of time, to allow for all existing banknotes to be returned to the CBB in the normal course of business.

Each denomination of new banknotes has a new design, while some denominations have a new colour as well. All of the new notes incorporate enhanced security features.

The CBB has begun working with the financial services industry to ensure a smooth introduction of new Bahrain banknotes.

A separate briefing session was also held today for Bahrain’s money changers. Similar sessions have already been held for Bahrain’s retail banks and insurance firms.