HRH Prince Salman praise ‘Fikra’ Innovation finalists and winners

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com   

His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, yesterday remotely received the 12 finalists of the Government Innovation Competition ‘Fikra’.

HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister stressed the importance of even greater public sector competitiveness, to drive innovation, enhance productivity and efficiency, and support the Kingdom’s comprehensive development, led by HM the King. HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister said that the innovative projects presented within the first and second editions of Fikra have already provided impressive solutions to various challenges within government, further enhancing public sector efficiency, even during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister congratulated the three winning concepts from this year’s edition, praising each for encapsulating national responsibility and ensuring the public sector continues to serve and benefit the Kingdom and its citizens. He noted the importance of further strengthening public sector efficiency by implementing the winning projects in line with the government’s programmes and priorities.

The winners presented their creative ideas before the members of the Government Executive Committee, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The winning entrants expressed their pride in success in this year’s Fikra, a competition launched by directives of HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

The competition winners praised HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister’s continued support for those working in the public sector and commitment to promoting creativity and innovation across government, in line with the Kingdom’s aspirations.

Following a multi-tiered evaluation process, 12 concepts qualified for the final stages of the competition. These ideas were presented to an evaluation committee of a number of Ministers and were the subject of a public vote, following which three concepts won: 1.

The expansion of Psychiatric Health Services within the Community, presented by Buthaina Al Asfoor and Dr. Ali Al Salman, of the Psychiatric Hospital at the Ministry of Health; 2. The inclusion of first aid basics in school curricula, presented by Kawther Foad Salman and Nadia Jasim Abudrees, also from the Ministry of Health; 3. Expanding the housing land bid programs, presented by Sayed Mahmood Adnan Al Biladi of Bahrain’s Labour Fund (Tamkeen).