The biggest single Internet transaction in the Middle East takes place in Bahrain

This Internet transaction is the biggest so far in the Middle East and marks the entry of Bahrain into the big league of next generation economies.

This online transaction is also an important stride in the process of transforming Bahrain government into an eGovernment, one with which members of the public and businesses can reach, communicate and interact with virtually. The success in building this e-government payment gateway infrastructure has been achieved with the support and cooperation of the Ministry of Finance & National Economy and the Ministry of Commerce to endeavour to harness information technology for innovation, create market value and make quantum leaps in the delivery of services to citizens and businesses.

"The concept of e-governance is evolving in the country, and our electronic payment gateway solution, which features affordability, flexibility, and convenience with an unmatched portfolio of services, is an essential bridge in this field. We have successfully put the solution to work at MOC and are in talks with other ministries and organisations to start the process of implementation of our solutions for their e-governance initiatives," said Mr Farid Al Mulla, General Manager BBK while carrying out the landmark transaction online. "It is a revolutionary service not only in the country but also the region and is in a position to spawn the digital shift in commerce in the region," he added.

'We have begun the process of transforming ourselves into an eGovernment, one with which members of the public and businesses can reach, communicate and interact with virtually,' said H.E. Ali Bin Saleh Al Saleh, Minister of Commerce.

"The facility to renew Commercial Registration is available at the MOC website (www.commerce.gov.bh) and is being used by citizens and businessmen as a smarter alternative to personal visits. www.bahrainpay.com electronic payment processing system integrated with the website enables the authorization, processing and management of online payments securely", he added.

"This utility allows MOC to provide online services with increased flexibility, efficiency, and security", said Mr. Abdulla Mansour, Undersecretary of Ministry of Commerce who praised and underlined the efforts of all those who have contributed in the success of this project.

This new development indicates promising business opportunities for banks, companies and merchants as well as more convenient, innovative and cost-effective services for the public. A unified team consisting of representatives of the Ministry of Commerce, BBK and CrediMax has been established to propagate the importance of the use of digital technologies in delivering government and business service in the digital economy. The Government of Bahrain is also actively working out plans to realize the socio-economic potential and benefits of the Internet economy for our industries and citizens.

The transaction, which is the true indicator of the arrival of the digital economy, owes its success to the teams of BBK and MOC.