Prime Minister receives ITU Award

Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa received the “Information and Communication Technology in Sustainable Development Award,” instituted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), here at Gudaibiya Palace yesterday. ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao presented the award to Prince Khalifa, who was conferred with the honour in recognition of the landmark achievements of the Government of Bahrain, under his leadership, in information and communications technology (ICT).

The award was announced at the UN headquarters in New York in September 2015. Receiving the award, HRH the Prime Minister appreciated the ITU Secretary-General for his efforts to spread the use of ICT and harness it to serve sustainable development goals.

“The Kingdom of Bahrain has managed to establish itself as a model for comprehensive sustainable development through modern visions and national initiatives that contributed to achieving a prosperous life for its citizens,” HRH Premier said.

Prince Khalifa pointed out that the awards granted to the Kingdom by the UN and its sustainable development agencies have crowned a rich record of achievements attained during His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s prosperous era.

“What distinguishes the Kingdom is that it has kept abreast of the rapidly unfolding developments in the ICT sector while preserving the authenticity of the Bahraini society, which is open to all cultures and civilisations,” HRH Premier commented.

HRH the Prime Minister stressed that Bahrain will continue keeping pace with ICT developments and make optimum use of them to serve its sustainable development efforts. “It will consolidate its status as a hub that attracts investments and encourages the ICT industry.”

Congratulating ITU on its 150th Anniversary, Prince Khalifa lauded its crucial role in enhancing international ICT cooperation.

Houlin Zhao remarked that HRH Premier had brought about a quantum leap regarding the development of ICT services in the Kingdom through his interest in developing its infrastructure. “It has entitled Bahrain to be among the first countries in introducing modern systems in the region.”

He pointed out that ITU’s decision to bestow the award to HRH the Prime Minister was in appreciation of his landmark contributions that would be a source of inspiration for the countries of region.

“The Government of Bahrain, under HRH Premier’s leadership, has managed to make Bahrain a leading country in achieving great success in the telecommunication field as proved by the ITU index 2015 regarding IT Development,” he added.