IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

• SMEs competing this year for the first time in the Award
• 70 projects across 39 governmental entities and private sector organizations vying to win awards
• 13 international independent jury members including 2 Omanis expert in eGovernment

The Jury session for HM Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in eGovernment 2014 has started officially yesterday. Jury members convened at the Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carleton Hotel, in Muscat and will continue their deliberations from 1-5 November 2014, during which time 70 submitted projects from 39 government and private entities will be evaluated according to set criteria. The Award recognizes entities' innovation in the field of eGovernment services provision and encourages leading and innovative ideas in the digital arena.

On hand to receive the Lithuanian delegation was Dr Salim Sultan Al Ruzaiqi, chief executive officer of ITA alongwith Yaqoob Al Balushi, the deputy CEO of Infrastructure and eServices, and Omar Al Shanfari, the deputy CEO of Operations.

Knowledge Oasis Muscat (KOM), the tech arm of the Public Establishment for Industrial Estates (Madayn), has launched the ‘Smart Mobility’ project.

The project, featuring electric scooter service for the employees working in various companies within KOM, was launched in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology and Salik Mobility.

In a step towards fulfilling the Sultanate’s commitment towards e-governance, the Majan Electricity Company (MJEC) and the Information Technology Authority (ITA) have jointly launched the first-ever tender over the newly launched portal for e-tenders.

The entire e-tendering process is quite simple. The tender gets initiated when a client enters details, such as the type of tender, the work requested, the length of time, deadline and activities involved, and submits it on the portal.

He highlighted the efforts made by the ministry with relation to implementing the Royal Orders related to the employment of jobseekers at the private sector. The minister also underlined the importance of applying the Labour Laws by the private sector's institutions and said that it is necessary for the private sector to be aware of the Labour Laws and the ministerial decisions.

This project is considered to be an integral part of the e-government programme of the Sultanate’s administration which will reduce efforts and time spent in going back several times to the institutions in order to complete transactions.

Eng. Ali bin Masoud al-Sunaidi, Minister of Commerce and Industry, who patronized over the inauguration ceremony said that the first package is designed to provide self-service that enables the persons complete their applications anywhere through registration on the machines provided by Information Technology Authority(ITA) and deployed in a number of commercial centres in the governorates of the Sultanate, adding that the first package includes four services (inquiry about the application, search for trade names, booking a trade name and renewal of trade name).

Enables employers to register work contracts of employees and more

The Oman Ministry of Labour announced yesterday that a new electronic service has been launched to register the work contracts for non-Omani manpower.

The service which started on 3 November, enables the employers to register work contracts for their expatriate employees through the ministry’s electronic portal.

The Ministry of Manpower launched an awareness campaign on activating the e-authentication services (PKI) for the Ministry's employees in a bid to benefit from the e-services that were activated in 2015. The new service is related to e-nomination of job seekers, e-licensing and e-authentication of Omanis' employment contracts.

The service ensures high quality of security, accuracy and credibility.

An agreement to design and implement the portal was signed recently by the Information Technology Authority (ITA) and the ministry with ICT Health, an Oman-based software development company, according to ITA officials.

The Ministry of Municipality and Environment yesterday launched a project which will help upgrade and make available about 300 services online under its digitization programme.

The initiative is part of a major project of the Ministry which is being implemented under Qatar e-Government 2020 Strategy.

As part of the digital transformation, the Ministry of Health launched e-health portal ‘Re-engineering’ project on Monday at an event at the Grand Millennium Hotel.

The launch ceremony was held under the auspices of Dr Hilal bin Ali al Sabti, Minister of Health, with the presence of Dr Fatima bint Mohammed al Ajmiyah, MoH’s Under-Secretary for Administrative, Financial, and Planning Affairs, along with director generals at the MoH and governorates, and heads of information technology in the directorates and hospitals

Dr Qamra Said al Sariri, director of planning, Directorate General of Health Services, MoH, said that the aim behind the project is to have a centralised database on patients, which can be accessed at any place and can be used whenever the need arises.

"We are working on this project in association with the ROP. We have almost finalised the plans and hope to implement it in the near future," Dr Qamra told Muscat Daily. It assumes importance as the government is trying to link clinics and hospitals at the regional and national level, she said.

The South Al Sharqiyah Governorate signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Omantel in the field of communications, which includes exchange of experiences in related fields, including the support and implementation of the digital transformation programme in the Governorate.

The MoU was signed by Dr Yahya bin Badr al Ma'awali, Governor South Al Sharqiyah and Talal bin Said al Maamari, CEO of Omantel.

Speaking to reporters following the launch of the second package of One-Station e-Trade Services at Comex exhibition being held at Oman International Exhibition Centre, the minister said that at least two countries are vying to acquire the tender for electronic transformation of services which he expects to be floated during the coming two months.

One of the world’s most advanced and intelligent smart cities globally

Msheireb Properties, Qatar’s leading sustainable real estate developer, has announced a key collaboration with Ooredoo Qatar and Honeywell to help automate and manage Msheireb Downtown Doha, one of the world’s most advanced and intelligent smart cities globally.

Unveiled at the Web Summit Qatar event, this landmark agreement introduces a pioneering Artificial Intelligence Powered platform designed to help optimise urban operations and enhance the quality of life for all residents and visitors. Ooredoo has been appointed as the prime partner managing Operations, while Honeywell will customise its City Suite platform to serve as the technology backbone, integrating thousands of sensors from across the city into a single point of control.

As Muscat evolves into a city of the future, Cundall’s role in the Greater Muscat Structure Plan is key

Oman’s capital city is on the cusp of a transformative evolution with the launch of the Greater Muscat Structure Plan (GMSP). The plan, a collaboration between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning and a diverse team of international experts, aims to shape the future growth of Muscat through forward-thinking urban development strategies.

Central to this ambitious project is Cundall, a multidisciplinary engineering consultancy known for its innovative approaches to sustainability, infrastructure, and urban resilience.