The Bahrain open data portal, data.gov.bh, has won Best Open Data Initiative at the fifth GCC Digital Government Award.
The announcement was made yesterday during the opening of the second Digital Government Forum held in Riyadh under the theme ‘Our Future Is Now’.
In addition, several Bahraini initiatives reached the final stages after competing against GCC projects across a range of categories.
The Commercial Registration Portal (Sijilat) was nominated in the ‘Best Digital Service’ category and the National Suggestion and Complaint System (Tawasul) was nominated in the ‘Best Community eParticipation’ category, both reaching the finals.
Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) chief executive Mohammed Al Qaed said the GCC level accolade highlights Bahrain’s exemplary digital advancements, distinguishing its success and enhancing its reputation in the regional and global ICT sector, thereby helping attract top tech companies and investors to the kingdom.
The GCC Digital Government Award is a biennial competition in which government entities showcase best practices that align with GCC standards and goals and contribute to the development of a digital economy and society.
It allows GCC entities to gain knowledge and lead in digital governance, providing a platform for competition, knowledge sharing, and enhancing customer satisfaction, as well as promoting a knowledge-based economy and global competitiveness.
During his participation in the ‘Data Integration for Value Creation’ panel, Mr Al Qaed shared insights into Bahrain’s approach to facilitating data and information exchange between government and private entities with the aim of enhancing service quality.
He said that Bahrain’s Privacy and Data Protection Law, along with digital policies such as the Once-Only Data Policy, have streamlined government services by reducing redundant information requests. He highlighted successful projects, including the electronic processing of ID card services and Sijilat, which has been streamlined through data integration between over 50 entities.
Mr Al Qaed added that the support received from Bahrain’s leadership and government contributes to the creation of ICT infrastructure that enables smooth data exchange, thereby enhancing government eServices for citizens and residents.
He also reviewed several digital projects, such as the Unified Access System and eKYC, which verifies individual identities and facilitates secure access to government eServices.
One of the main objectives of the GCC eGovernment Award is to highlight digital government achievements and success stories, announce the 2023 Digital Transformation Index, build partnerships with local and international stakeholders, showcase challenges and best practices, and create a platform for organisations, specialists, and experts to exchange knowledge.
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