iGA Deputy Chief Executive, Electronic Transformation, Dr. Zakareya Ahmed Al Khaja receives the Bahrain Digital Content Award 2023

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

Three government applications provided by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in collaboration with other government entities won the Bahrain Digital Content Award 2023. The ceremony was attended by His Excellency Ali Bin Saleh Al Saleh, Chairman of Shura Council, and organized by Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTECH), and Worksmart For Events Management in collaboration with the World Summit Awards (WSA), at the Gulf Convention Centre.

The awards were received by iGA’s Deputy Chief Executive for Electronic Transformation Dr. Zakareya Ahmed Al Khaja. Tawasul app emerged as the winner in the ‘Government & Citizen Engagement’ category, while Al-Tajir app, developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and several government entities, won the ‘Business & Commerce’ category. The Sehati app secured first place in the ‘Health & Wellbeing’ category.

iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed expressed his pride in the digital projects's success, underscoring the support provided by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, in championing innovative initiatives and enhancing government services for citizens and residents. He lauded the directives of His Excellency General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), highlighting his role in the iGA’s mission to provide regularly upgraded systems and services, spearheading comprehensive digital transformation.

Al Qaed praised the iGA teams’ efforts in coordination with government entities, which proved instrumental in the recognition of the Tawasul, Al-Tajir, and Sehati apps. Tawasul offers convenient, high-quality, and effective communication between citizens, residents, and government entities, prioritizing user feedback. This award adds to Tawasul's impressive list of accolades, including the Customer Service Excellence Award, the Smart Cities 2023 Award in the Smart Citizens Engagement category, and the Arab Government Excellence (AGE) Award in the Best Smart Government Application category, among other local and regional honors.

On the other hand, Al Qaed hailed the Sehati app for its achievement in winning Bahrain Digital Content Award 2023 in the Health & Wellbeing category, registering his gratitude and appreciation to H.E. The Chairman of the Supreme Council of Health, H.E. The Minister of Health, Chief Executives of Government Hospitals, Primary Healthcare Centers, and the National Health Regularity Authority (NHRA) for their valuable cooperation and support in the digital transformation of the healthcare sector. He highlighted the quality healthcare services of the app and innovative, user-friendly interface that facilitate convenient healthcare access, saving users time and effort while improving the Kingdom’s healthcare sector.

Moreover, Al Qaed extended his appreciation to H.E. the Minister of Industry & Commerce, as well as the Chief Executives of the Labor Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA), the Social Insurance Organization (SIO) and the other concerned entities for their support to iGA in implementing the digital systems and projects. He praised the entities joint effort in the digital transformation of the Business sector, marking Sijillat and other digital services that reinforce this sector and add value to the convenience of business-related services.

Al Qaed stated that the Al-Tajir application’s win reflects the leadership’s support to bolster Bahrain’s technological infrastructure, establish frameworks to streamline digital services in the business sector, foster commercial operations, attract investments, and advance the national economy. He highlighted the app's features and services, which empower merchants and business owners with commercial registrations to access and conduct transactions effortlessly.

Mr. Mohammed Al-Qaed expressed his wishes for continued cooperation with all government entities to adopt advanced technologies in order to improve services and move forward with the development of government work to enhance the ICT sector in the Kingdom. Launched in 2005, the Bahrain Digital Content Award aims to spotlight Bahrain’s advancement in digital content, ICT, and global digitalization trends. It showcases the potential of all sectors to foster innovative, sustainable, and creative solutions for the development of digital content across government and private institutions.