“To achieve knowledge-based economy as an objective, Bahrain is supporting the development of a stimulating environment acting as a catalyst to promote creativity and engagement of youths in all fields of scientific advancements, including developing and designing the eContent, as well as putting a significant imprint of our identity on the international technology map,” Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak told the audience during the honouring ceremony of the winners of Bahrain and Arab eContent Awards 2013 on Tuesday.
Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communications Technology (SCICT) honoured the winners of the Arab eContent Awards 2013 and Bahrain eContent Awards 2013 at the hosting ceremony held in Bahrain.
Under the patronage of Shaikh Mohammed, was organized by the Bahrain Internet Society (BIS), in cooperation with the eGovernment Authority (eGA) and the World Summit Award (WSA).
His Highness said that Bahrain undertook to host the Arab eContent Award all products of winning participants in local competitions had thoroughly been assessed at the Middle East level in compliance with the same WSA international standards, supervised by the board of the World Summit Award (WSA).His Highness also stated that Information and Communications Technology (ICT) became centre stage as one of the critical issues in the sphere of knowledge with the promotion of the free flow of information and ideas, providing a platform for increased competition among nations and scientists. The future for youth is heavily dependent on technology as information and technology will be shaping the future of the emerging generation, and all that requires a new all-embracing vision to make youth true architects of our societies.
He also added that there is no doubt that making use of ICT means will be limited if not used as a pool of information content where positive effects will be more beneficial to all societies once they have been infused with language and identity.
Transportation Minister Kamal bin Ahmed Mohammed in his welcome address said that those who worked hard to deliver the maximum scientific and technical potential. He also congratulated the winners for their significant achievements, creative and innovative outputs as being good models of quality and perfection which should be replicated in other contexts.
Kamal said that we recognize the significance and close correlation between both awards with a view to enrich the Arab eContent as a strategic value for our present and future. Audience also recognize that the Arab eContent Award is the result of the concerted efforts primarily motivated by Bahrain’s active part in the World Summit Award (WSA) in 2003.
“We are proud to recall the proposal made by the Bahraini delegation during the World Summit Preparatory Meeting in 2004 held in Cairo, it was the first-of-its-kind in the Arab world with an emphasis on enriching eContent. Such proposal Bahrain’s initiative has been generally well-received by the participating states, and the launch of the Arab eContent Award was announced at the World Summit on Information Society in Tunisia in November 2005 in the presence of Head of States and various countries,” he added.