The Kingdom of Bahrain participates in the First GCC eGovernment Conference in Oman

The participation comes in a bid to increase the efficiency of eGovernment services, to increase cooperation frameworks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the implementation of eGovernment strategic and programs, besides exchanging expertise in the provision of eServices, capacity building, ePerformance, and to exchange experiences with others to measure the achievements in the digital knowledge economy.

A delegation from the eGovernment Authority is participating in the Gulf Conference along with a number of the Kingdom's government and ministries, most of the executive managers from the ministries and authorities overseeing the various eGovernment programs across the GCC, and a number of decision makers, academic specialists in IT and communications from around the world.

On the first day of the conference, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of eGovernment Authority, is presenting a paper on the Kingdom of Bahrain eGovernment's experience, talking about the eGovernment's future through presenting models, challenges and new tools that can be applied, in addition to address the areas of cooperation between GCC with regards to the development and implementation of joint projects established to deliver integrated services to the citizens of GCC countries. Al Qaed will address the skills of public sector employees in the use of IT and communications, including capacity building project, the importance to raise awareness through marketing campaigns and special awareness on the eGovernment's programs.

Regards the to the conference going to be held, Mr. Mohammed Al Qaed confirmed that the Gulf countries look forward to raise a number of recommendations that would support and promote the eGovernment services shared between the GCC and thus reversing its benefits to citizens directly. He commented:

"This conference is one of the most stations that any eGovernment of Gulf nations will stand, with which we will exchange experiences and knowledge in best practices between the GCC countries, and to identify the major challenges facing the bodies of IT and communication in eGovernment issues"

Al Qaed stressed that the 1st GCC eGovernment Conference follows a translation of the Arab Gulf States to continue its efforts to reach a new and innovative methods in dealing with citizens to provide services in the easiest and quickest way to and ensure adequate connection in time and effort.

In the sidelines of the conference, an exhibition will be organized involving all the GCC the eGovernment authorities together with a number of ministries and governmental bodies. The a Kingdom of Bahrain's Pavilion will represent the experience in the area of the eGovernment Authority and the mechanism employed in alignment with the eGovernment services provided with the ministries.

The GCC eGovernment Excellence Award is scheduled to be launched during the conference which is held for the first time at the Gulf States level. Each gulf state is to participate with six digital projects have been applied or is currently working on application under the award's categories.

In this regard, Mohammed Al Qaed noted: "It was a great success achieved in the establishment of the eGovernment Excellence Award in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of H.H Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information Technology and Communications, that has a positive impact resulted that each GCC country will establish the prize at the local level, where it was agreed on the Bahrain's proposal that each country is to organize the award in the first half of the year (local preliminaries), to be finalists at the GCC level and the distribution ceremony to take place in the state's presidency for the GCC summit"

The Kingdom of Bahrain will be represented in this award through the participation of all the winners of the eGovernment Excellence Award which was held in May this year, as follows: Best eService: Tender Board(eTendering), Electricity and Water Authority (electricity and water bills payment), Best eContent: The Ministry of Health (website of the Ministry of Health), Ministry of Finance (the Ministry of Finance and National Economy), Best e-Maturity: Social Insurance (Information Security Management System), General Organization for Youth and Sports (GOYS) (Unified Communications), the Best e-Economy: Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Bahrain Investor Center),Best e-Project: Ministry of Interior (Najem system), the Ministry of Works (Management System (EDMS).

In addition, the eGovernment Authority will award four projects, which are: (eBirth service) in the category of the best eservice, and (Bahrain eGovernment portal) in the category of best eContent, and (eGovernment Service Delivery Platforms) in the category of Best e-Maturity, and (Enterprise Architecture) in the category of best e-project for eGovernment.