Students Building Digital Resilience
by: BTM - Mon, 13 Apr 2026
Four students from New Millennium School have created DIRA, a digital crisis-response platform designed to support public safety, strengthen resilience and serve Bahrain in times of need.
In the 21st century, the meaning of national service is evolving. While the armed forces protect the Kingdom’s borders, a new generation is looking at how technology can help safeguard its digital frontiers. At New Millennium School, four students have channelled that idea into DIRA, a platform created to support real-time national safety and crisis response.
DIRA, available at dirabh.com, was developed to help bridge the gap between official information and public action during emergencies. Conceived as a national crisis management ecosystem, the platform is designed to make reliable guidance, key contacts and location-based support quickly accessible when it matters most.
The project was led by a four-member founding team, each with a distinct area of responsibility. Dhyan Ishwar Shaji, Lead Technical Engineer and Architect, developed the platform’s digital infrastructure. He built DIRA as a Progressive Web App, ensuring it remains accessible without the need for a download, while also creating its geospatial proximity system to help residents identify the nearest active Phase 1 & 2 shelters. He also integrated the Biologically Optimised SOS alarm feature.
Avinash Bejesh Nambiar, Chief Security Officer, oversaw the platform’s cybersecurity and high-availability protections. His work included the implementation of Cloudflare edge security and specialist traffic-filtering measures aimed at protecting the platform from external threats and DDoS attacks, particularly during periods of high usage.
Merwyn D’Souza, Chief Analysis Officer, led the data intelligence and local research side of the project. He was responsible for curating the platform’s survival resources and verifying important national information, including embassy contacts and ministry directories, so that users can access dependable and practical guidance.
Ahmed Riyaan, Chief Outreach Officer, managed DIRA’s public-facing presence and communications strategy. His role focused on expanding awareness of the platform across social media and digital channels, helping ensure that its safety-focused message reaches the wider community.
A key part of DIRA’s design is accessibility. By using a Progressive Web App model rather than a traditional downloadable application, the team aimed to remove barriers linked to storage space and make the service easier to use, even on low-bandwidth networks. The goal is simple: to ensure support is as immediate and widely available as possible.
Among its standout features is a specially engineered SOS alarm. Designed within the 3-4 kHz range, it is intended to cut through background noise and assist search-and-rescue efforts in emergency situations. The platform also includes directories for embassies and ministries, along with a verified news portal intended to help users find trustworthy information and avoid misinformation during times of crisis.
The students say the project has already gained momentum, receiving attention from numerous media outlets. More importantly, it reflects a wider ambition to show how young people in Bahrain can contribute to the country through innovation as well as ideas.
DIRA stands as a student-led example of how technology, public service and national pride can come together in a practical way. Built with a clear sense of purpose, it highlights the role young innovators can play in helping Bahrain face modern challenges with confidence and resilience.
