The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) has issued an official circular to all tourism establishments operating in the kingdom, including hotels and restaurants, banning all facilities from airing any Al Jazeera Channels.

In a statement released by BTEA, it stressed the importance of removing all channels running under Al Jazeera Network from the list of channels available in the hotel rooms and all other touristic facilities.

Tourism facilities running such channels will be penalized with fines including imprisonment and the revoking of licenses.

The circular also stated: "The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority mandates that all television receivers available in tourism facilities must be reprogrammed to remove all channels related to Al Jazeera Network. Facilities include hotels, restaurants or other tourist establishments. The violation of this circular is punishable by law either by imprisonment, fine or both. Facilities who fail to comply with the circular will face closure and their tourism license will be revoked immediately." - TradeArabia News Service