IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Bahrain has successfully implemented the first phase of a collaborative e-government project with Microsoft, paving the way for the government's full use of a new active directory based on the MS Windows 2003 server.

Solar powered e-paper displays are being rolled out across the transport system in Bahrain, as part of its smart city initiative Spark City (Gulf).

A deal was struck between London-based Papercast and the Bahrain government’s Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunication, to replace paper bus timetables with its 13” outdoor displays.

More than 300 companies are to be trained in using the online system, as part of the first batch.

This follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding by the Tender Board and the Labour Fund to train owners and employees from the private sector on navigating the e-Tendering process.

The calendar aims to enhance joint co-ordination between government and non-government entities to set the right timeframes to organise events and activities to avoid conflict between concurrent events in terms of content or targeted audiences.

The Mobile Apps workshop revealed that the number of smart devices sold worldwide every day outweighs the number of born babies. Workshop speakers Ilie Ghiciuc, Founder & COO of Thinslices; and Vlad Bodi, CEO and Founder of Hppy highlighted rising penetration of tablet devices that surpasses the sales of smart mobile phones; they recommended that specific design criteria features must be taken into account, in addition to observing the most important global trends in mobile phone.

On this occasion, the Authority hosted a staff function for their females employees where Dr. Zakareya Ahmed Alkhaja Vice CEO of the eGovernment Authority, attended the function along with senior officials from the Authority. The female employees were awarded with gifts and tokens of appreciation.

The second phase, which involved assessing the current ICT platforms in all government ministries, then designing the ideal architecture of these platforms under one unified framework for all policies and applications, was carried by joint work groups from the ministries and government agencies and announcing the move to phase three.

The theme of the Forum, 'Electronic Portals: A Future Look', is a topic the eGovernment Authority is intimately familiar with. The eGovernment National Portal (Bahrain.bh), launched in November 2008, was a landmark event, being the first of the four main service delivery channels in the eGovernment strategy, the other three being the mobile gateway, common service centers, and national contact center.

Mohammed Al Qaed, CEO of the eGA, and Mohammed Malik, CE of CrediMax signed the agreement.

The eighth Bahrain International eGovernment Forum opens today at the Isa Cultural Centre and Bahrain International Circuit.

Held under the patronage of Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the five-day event aims to bring together the brightest minds and latest solutions in eGovernment, with a particular focus on the private sector and the theme "Smart Cities - Beyond Innovation", reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

‘eTransformation in Public Sector’ will be the focus of the upcoming Bahrain International eGovernment Forum on its first day.

The ministerial panel discussion in the forum taking place on 7th & 8th October will be led by Shaikh Khalid bin Ali bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Justice & Islamic Affairs along with Zayed bin Rashed AlZayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism.

They also attended the opening of Capability Building computer labs for eTraining which is equipped by the eGovernment Authority at the society's headquarters.

Transportation Minister Kamal Ahmed said Bahrain had taken great strides in making the latest in ICT available to people.

He was speaking at the opening session of Meet ICT - an annual gathering of ICT professionals and experts from Bahrain and the region, which is being organised by Gulf Future Business in co-operation with Bahrain ICT Suppliers Trade Association (BISTA).

The Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs (NPRA) said that the number of visitors in the service centres in Muharraq and Isa Town would be reduced to preserve the safety of everyone based on the recommendations of the National Medical Team.

NPRA called on the public to use the available electronic platforms to provide services to avoid crowding and to quicken the completion of transactions.

The Deputy Prime Minister also launched the Tender Board portal www.tenderboard.gov.bh.

Shaikh Mohammed told the Bahrain News Agency (BNA), “This is stage one. The next step we believe is to move forward improving and developing because we believe that this is the course that we should follow in the 21st century.

eServices allow graduates to complete all procedures without having to physically visit service centers and offices

School and university graduates are invited to finalise their graduation requirements through a bundle of eServices offered via the national portal, bahrain.bh.

Information and eGovernment Authority deputy chief executive of electronic transformation Dr Zakareya Al Khajah said the eServices allow graduates to complete all procedures without having to physically visit service centers and offices.

On this occasion, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Mubarak Al Khalifa stated that Bahrain has embraced the idea of enhancing eContent with its efforts to keep abreast of the latest developments and create a knowledge-driven economy by 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.