Bahrain’s major initiatives aimed at transforming the Kingdom into a complete knowledge-based society were highlighted during the World Summit on the Information Society Forum (WSIS) 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The initiatives include social networks and the emerging trends towards offering various channels for officials and citizens with an objective to enhance transparency and interactivity in day-to-day government work which will assist in increasing the country’s ranking in this arena.
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s delegation led by the CEO of the eGovernment Authority, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, took part in a workshop during the WSIS. WSIS is one of the largest annual conferences held under the aegis of the United Nations and its affiliated organizations.
Al Qaed presented during his participation at the workshop the various means followed by the eGovernment Authority in the Kingdom of Bahrain towards raising awareness and educating the citizens’ and maintaining their trust towards the usage eservices.
He also indicated that the current trends driven by the Kingdom of Bahrain’s eGovernment Authority such as the Open Data initiative aimed to achieve the set goals and to support the private sector, the national economy and to overcome obstacles discussed during the workshop in line with Bahrain’s 2030 Economic Vision.
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s participation in the workshop has received various recognitions from other speakers and participants for its achievements in the field of eGovernment, social networks, and mobile application as an ideal paradigm to be followed. They have also emphasized on the valiant orientations as well as its leading role it plays in the regional level in line with the outlined advanced countries’ practice in this field.
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s eGovernment programs has received a wider recognition from Professor Peter Bruck, the Chairman of the World Summit Awards (WSA) in a presentation he delivered during the World Summit on the Information Society in Geneva.
Professor Bruck emphasized on the Kingdom’s role in supporting eContent in a local, regional and international levels in regards to the Bahrain eContent Award organized every two years by the Kingdom of Bahrain as well as the Mobile portal initiative as one the most important delivery channels which provides integrated eGovernment Services, which he described as an experience that deserved to win the World Summit Award for eContent in 2010 and gave a detailed explanation on its use and the eservices it provides.
He thanked the Kingdom of Bahrain and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology for the efforts and the continuous support provided for investors to improve this field in the Kingdom of Bahrain, describing the eGovernment Programme in the Kingdom as one of the best excellence practices in this field.
The World Summit on the Information Society 2011 (WSIS), that follows the United Nations and organized by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNSECO), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) provides a custom opportunity specialized to learn, to communicate and to participate in various discussions and negotiations that assembles various concerned parties with an aim to execute the World Summit of the Information Society Goals.