MANAMA: His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa Deputy Prime Minister, Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology, officially opened Bahrain IT Expo 2014 at the Bahrain International Circuit’s (BIC) Paddock Hall on Tuesday.
The two-day expo is one the activities of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 7th edition, which kicked off on Monday under His Highness Shaikh Mohammed’s patronage.
The expo which ends on Wednesday is also running in parallel with eight different ICT workshops.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed also officially launched the new mobile apps that offer high-tech solutions for users of Civil Service Bureau entitled ‘Civil Service Bureau’ app, and the Ministry of Works’ ‘Fix2Go’ app, both of which are being implemented in cooperation with the eGovernment Authority (eGA).
He also launched eGA’s latest app ‘Profile Manger’ which facilitates all payments made through the eGovernment Portal. His Highness Shaikh Mohammed toured the exhibition, visiting exhibitors’ stands and a number of workshops.
The exhibition, which attracts many prominent experts in the field, is considered an important networking opportunity which showcases the latest ICT developments, as well as the challenges faced by the industry. It gives the opportunity for exhibitors to present their latest products; as well as IT enthusiasts to sample their latest technologies and solutions available in the market.
Bahrain IT Expo, offered free entrance to the public, attracted over 80 exhibitors this year, resulting in the doubling of the event’s exhibition space to accommodate the increased local and interantional demand.
The authority is hosting a large, fully-equipped stand at the expo, with 28 different Bahraini governmental entities exhibiting their services under its umbrella. Ample space at the exhibition is also provided for private sector and civil society participants. Among the major international exhibitors this year are large private sector delegates from Jordan and Sri Lanka.
Several international speakers are presenting at the eight workshops being held on the second and third days of the forum. The workshops are being organized under the supervision of the eGovernment Authority and in cooperation with various civil societies, specialist institutes and international organizations. Topics being covered include Smart Government, Gamification, Mobile Trends, Power of Social Media, Big Data, Internet of Things, IT Digital Trends, Entrepreneurship, Future Cities, and Industrial Internet.