ICT Governance Committee Reviews IT Projects and Purchases Worth 3.5 Million Dinars

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune - www.newsofbahrain.com

The ICT Governance Committee convened for its seventy-second meeting, chaired by Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, the Chief Executive of the Information & eGovernment Authority, via video conferencing. The session covered various projects and procurement requests from government entities.

At the outset, Al Qaed welcomed the attendees and expressed his gratitude to the committee members for their contributions. The agenda included discussions on several significant topics, notably the National Genome Project by the Ministry of Health, aimed at establishing Bahrain’s national genetic map. The project reflects the global race in advancing genetic testing technologies and creating population genetic maps through national genomics initiatives. Bahrain has taken notable strides with the National Genome Program, implementing modern healthcare policies and advancements in research, innovation, and population bioinformatics. This initiative will establish a genetic data platform using cloud computing for the necessary technical infrastructure.

The committee also reviewed the second phase of the National Real Estate DataBank (Aqari) Project. This developmental initiative supports the real estate sector by providing accurate and up-to-date information for better market insights. Enhancements in this phase will focus on improving the user interface and experience, developing data verification and quality mechanisms, and enhancing reports and data dashboards. Artificial intelligence technologies will be integrated into interactive maps and predictive data dashboards to foster a favourable investment environment, encouraging real estate investment and boosting investor confidence.

Additionally, the meeting discussed the Government Innovation Centre and Laboratory Project by the Information & eGovernment Authority. This centre will be established at the authority's headquarters, serving as a central hub to guide government entities in leveraging technology to address challenges and explore opportunities. The focus will be on improving the efficiency and quality of government services, cost optimisation, and adapting to rapid technological changes such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality (AR), and blockchain.

The committee also addressed various ongoing projects and procurement requests aimed at developing and supporting government systems and improving the quality and efficiency of IT services.

Further, the committee was briefed on the implementation of decisions approved in previous meetings and monitored the progress of these tasks.

The meeting was attended by Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive of the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), Nawal Ibrahim Al Khater, Undersecretary for Policies, Strategies, and Performance at the Ministry of Education, Dr Khalid Ahmed AlMutawa, Deputy CEO, Operations & Governance at iGA, Linda Mohammed Janahi, Executive Director – Corporate Operations at the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Dr Hessa Jassim Al-Junaid, Dean of the College of IT at the University of Bahrain, Dr Ali Mohammed Al-Soufi, IT Consultant, along with the support team of the ICT Governance Committee.