BAHRAIN eGOVT IN FOCUS AT ASTANA

International praise received 

DT News Network

Manama

Bahrain’s experience in eGovernment and its achievements accomplished in a limited timeframe received huge admiration from participants at the Astana Economic Forum 2015 held in Kazakhstan.  

Representing Bahrain, in response to an invitation by the United Nations, in the forum held at Astana in the Republic of Kazakhstan on May 21 and 22 was Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, CEO of the eGovernment Authority.  

The event held under the patronage of President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev saw the participation of Presidents, Head of States, Prime Ministers and representatives of international and regional organisations, as well as representatives from the private sector. In addition, a number of experts from various academic and scientific institutions attended the event with over 3,000 participants from various parts of the world.

In parallel to the two-day global forum, 22 diverse workshops related to the field of sustainable developmentand other economic and development topics were held, providing participants a significant role in enriching the topics discussed. 

Discussing the role of the private sector in supporting the process of sustainable development, Al Qaed demonstrated leading case studies from Bahrain in relation to the topic and its potential, set by ranks of developing countries. In addition, he discussed how Information and Communication Technology is used as a key tool in encourage GDP remains high in all parts of the world by 2020.  

Al Qaed demonstrated one of the key objectives of the National eGovernment Strategy 2016 of Bahrain in increasing active participation with both private and public sector to ensure a better life for citizens, as well as increased partnerships with the private sector to boost ICT readiness. 

Through the support of entrepreneurship and innovation, the eGovernment Authority in coordination with entities from the private sector, showcased their experiences with the Bahrain Development Bank and how they provided the necessary support through the provision of integrated services focused on training, consulting, development and financing and how they are turned into commercial projects at the cost of up to BD 178,360, an average of BD 20,000 per project.  

On the sidelines of the visit, Al Qaed toured a number of government entities in the Republic of Kazakhstan, such as the Kazakh Service Center, the Traffic Control Center, and the National Contact Center in order to exchange experience and knowledge in this area.