The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) concluded the second workshop on GCC eGovernment priorities. The event was part of the ongoing coordination between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Secretariat General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), in line with the recommendations of the first workshop and with the aim of supporting the efforts of the GCC eGovernment Executive Committee and joint strategies.
iGA Deputy CE of eTransformation, Dr. Zakariya AlKhajah said that digital transformation, eGovernment, and technology adoption initiatives have contributed significantly to strengthening the GCC’s position as a Middle East regional leader in eGovernment readiness, as indicated in United Nations reports. This has also impacted in enhancing GCC’s Information and telecommunication sectors’ regionally and globally. Dr. AlKhajah highlighted the successful approach adopted by the GCC countries in recent years, especially during the pandemic, which enabled them to accelerate the digital transformation of many government services and provide them through multiple digital channels.
iGA Deputy CE praised recommendations raised by participating GCC entities concerned with the development of digital governments and information and communications technologies (ICT). This reflects a commitment to achieving further prosperity and development through digital transformation and the deployment of advanced technologies based on well-studied strategies and policies in the gulf region.
The participating delegations also expressed their sincere appreciation to Kingdom of Bahrain, stressing the efforts made to organize the sessions of the second workshop.
The workshop concluded with a set of recommendations including the importance of developing a strategic study to enhance the sustainability of services provided by the GCC ePortal. They also agreed to unify high level digital government strategies and to study initiatives to exchange digital identity data. The workshop participants also agreed to study the possibility of a unified working methodology across the GCC, to serve as an indicator for the United Nations and to support the hosting of government services in a cloud computing environment (Cloud-First), as well as the utilization of artificial intelligence applications.
The participants highlighted the importance of joint efforts towards mechanisms that will enable the GCC countries to measure digital transformation policy development and strategy, and the implementation of digital projects, including eServices, apps, and advanced systems. These efforts facilitate access to government services for all segments of society, enhancing the quality of their lives and supporting efforts to attract investment to the region’s economies.
Among the main recommendations was the importance of benefiting from the countries’ experience presented during sessions on the digital transformation of government services. This is expected to enhance and support the development and continued growth of Gulf digital entities.
The workshop discussed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s collaboration with the private sector as a primary factor in the development of government services through public-private partnership to support digital transformation programs and initiatives in the region.
In conclusion, workshop participants stressed the need to continue developing and updating systems that facilitate electronic integration and support data exchange, and to study support for electronic payment services used for the settlement of fees and other financial obligations.