1. His Majesty and Members of the Royal Family Graced the National-Level Ilal Hijrah 1448 Celebration

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, graced the National-Level Ilal Hijrah 1448 Celebration held on July 4. His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office; and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Mateen, Minister of Foreign Affairs were also present. His Majesty stressed the need to continue to empower aqidah (faith) strengthening programmes and extend them to all levels of society, and presented the Ilal Hijrah 1448 awards to nine recipients with distinguished contributions including the Chief Syar’ie Judge Pehin Orang Kaya Paduka Seri Utama Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Salim bin Haji Besar.

2. His Majesty has Consented to the Promotion, Appointment and Transfer of Several Senior Officers

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam has recently consented to the promotion, appointment and transfer of 14 senior officers, effective on July 1, 2026; among them are Pengiran Hajah Siti Nirmala binti Pengiran Haji Mohammad, Permanent Secretary (Vision) at the Prime Minister’s Office to be transferred as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Development; Dayang Hajah Nor Ashikin binti Haji Johari, Permanent Secretary (Community) at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, to be transferred as Permanent Secretary (Vision) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Awang Zulhusam bin Haji Abdul Samad, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office to be promoted and appointed as Permanent Secretary (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office and concurrently serves as Deputy Director of Internal Security Department; Dato Paduka Awang Haji Mohd Zalani bin Haji Ismail, Director of Narcotics Control Bureau to be promoted and appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office and concurrently serves as Director of Narcotics Control Bureau. Hajah Aldila binti Haji Mohamad Salleh, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Corporate and Law) at the Ministry of Development to be transferred as Deputy Permanent Secretary (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office; Dr Dayang Hajah May Fae’zah binti Haji Ahmad Ariffin, Permanent Secretary (Economy, Trade and Industry) at the Ministry of Finance to be transferred as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; Awang Mohammad Harris bin Brigadier General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Ibrahim, Deputy Permanent Secretary (Economy) at the Ministry of Finance to be promoted and appointed as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

3. Brunei Organized Digital Economy Forum 2026

At the Brunei Digital Economy Forum 2026 on July 1, Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Dato Seri Paduka Awang Mohammed Riza bin Dato Paduka Haji Mohammed Yunos remarked at the Forum that Brunei Darussalam must move beyond building digital infrastructure to creating seamless digital experiences that make everyday life easier for citizens and businesses and their priority must shift – from building systems to delivering real outcomes, and from strategy to implementation. He stressed that achieving the vision of “Together Towards a Digital Brunei” requires close collaboration between the government and private sector, and the government can provide direction and enabling infrastructure, but innovation, adoption and the delivery of digital services must be driven by industry. He called on businesses to invest in AI, cybersecurity and digital skills, support micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in adopting e-commerce, and work with the government to simplify processes and integrate digital systems.

4. Brunei Records Strong Tourism Growth in Early 2026

Said the Acting Director of Tourism Development Hajah Salina binti Haji Mohd Salleh during the launch of a new local digital tourism platform on June 30, Brunei Darussalam’s tourism recovery has continued to strengthen, with the country recording a total of 678 thousand visitor arrivals in 2024, increasing to 763 thousand visitor arrivals in 2025, representing a 12.6-per-cent growth. During the first quarter of the year, Brunei Darussalam recorded 217 thousand visitor arrivals, representing a 21.5-per-cent growth compared to the corresponding period in 2025. Based on the increasing trend and the Visit Brunei Year 2027, she said, “This gives confidence that the country’s long-term target of 1.4 million visitors by 2035 can potentially be achieved.” And she added, “We are accelerating digital transformation to make tourist services more connected and efficient.”

5. BDFA to Take Over Food Safety Responsibilities in Tutong, Temburong

The Brunei Darussalam Food Authority (BDFA) has taken full responsibility for food safety services in the Tutong and Temburong districts from the Ministry of Health since July 1, 2026. The transition marks the completion of the transfer of all food safety responsibilities from the Ministry of Health to the BDFA, including food safety and hygiene inspections, food sampling, compliance monitoring, investigation of food safety complaints and incidents, the provision of food safety advisory and consultation services, training programmes for food handlers, public awareness and education initiatives on food safety, and closely working with relevant government agencies and food industry stakeholders to promote safe food practices.