Kuwait city: Public Security Chief Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan represented Bahrain at the 9th GCC Ministerial Committee for Digital Government meeting, as designated by General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Bahrain's Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology. The meeting was chaired by Omar Al Omar, Kuwait's Minister of State for Communications Affairs.
According to Bahrain News Agency, the meeting included notable participants such as Mohammed Al Qaed, Chief Executive of the Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA), and Dr. Khalid Ahmed Al Mutawa, iGA Deputy Chief Executive of Operations and Governance. The committee addressed several key topics, including reports from the Executive Committee, which has specialized working groups focused on joint e-services, unified procurement, artificial intelligence, and digital safety services.
The meeting highlighted Bahrain's leadership role in overseeing the preparation of the unified GCC Artificial Intelligence Strategy. This strategy, coordinated with a joint technical team, is set to be officially launched upon committee approval. The committee also endorsed Oman's general framework for supporting AI applications in public services to enhance government service quality and efficiency, and adopted a framework for the Climate Prediction and Disaster Management Initiative, utilizing AI technology to address environmental and climate challenges.
Discussions included a proposal to rename the Executive Committee for eGovernment to the Executive Committee for Digital Government and to promote its working groups to specialized technical committees. The meeting also explored collaboration with the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO) to facilitate roundtable discussions for sharing expertise in eGovernment, digital transformation, and emerging technologies.
Bahrain's digital progress was recognized at the Digital Government Awards Ceremony held alongside the meeting. The Kingdom received two awards, with the national eParticipation platform "Sharekna" winning first place in the Best Digital Participation Platform in the GCC category and the MyGov application earning the Excellence Award for Best Comprehensive Government Application.
During the meeting, Lieutenant General Tariq Al Hassan emphasized Bahrain's commitment to the government's vision and the directives of the Interior Minister, stating that joint Gulf cooperation in digital transformation is essential for sustainable development. He affirmed Bahrain's dedication to enhancing collaboration with GCC states to implement the new digital strategy and achieve its ambitious goals. He also extended his best wishes for the committee's success in advancing regional digital integration.