Bahrain eGovernment Excellence Award honours public, private and citizen sector leaders

TDT | Manama                                    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Reported by Ashen Tharaka  

The Bahrain government has identified more than a hundred fields in which to extend artificial intelligence (AI) for digital transformation in the future, in preparation for new technologies.

This was stated by H.E. General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior, Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), at the eGovernment Excellence Award ceremony 2023.

The 12th Edition of the eGovernment Excellence Award ceremony kicked off yesterday at the Exhibition World Bahrain, awarding public and private sectors for their unwavering commitment to the Kingdom.

In his opening remarks, the Minister of Interior emphasised the importance of preparing for the future and embracing new technologies. He said that “the government has built a strong infrastructure, with 100% internet coverage.

This reflects the country’s commitment to digital transformation, which includes improving the performance of various entities to increase productivity.”

eGovernment Excellence Award

The eGovernment Excellence Award is an annual event that recognises and rewards the outstanding achievements of public and private sector organisations in Bahrain in the field of eGovernment.

Middle East AI market to reach $8.4 billion by 2026

The Middle East is poised to become a major player in the global artificial intelligence (AI) market, with its size expected to grow from $500 million today to $8.4 billion by 2026.

This rapid growth is being driven by a number of factors, including government investment in AI, the growing adoption of AI by businesses, and the region’s unique position as a bridge between East and West.

“This is a tremendously important imperative, I would say, for the region, and ultimately one that comes with economic costs and geopolitical costs,”- GenAI expert Nina Schick said.

The winners - public and private sector categories

Best Website

Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning
BENEFIT(Benefit website)
Ministry of Industry and Commerce (Sijilat - The Commercial Registration Portal)
Aluminium Bahrain (Alba Website)

Best Integrated eServices Award

University of Bahrain (eAdmission - online student admission)
Bahrain Airport Services (SAWAED project)

Best Project for Digital Transformation

Ministry of Interior (Police wallet app)
Kalaam Telecom (Enabling Digital Transformation)

Best Practice in eParticipation Award

Southern Governorate (“Aljunobya” video call service)
LocalBH (social media account)

Best Work Environment for Digital Innovation Award

Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB Innovation Lab)
STC Bahrain

Best Utilization of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Ministry of Finance and National Economy (ML Sentiment Analysis Tool)
Nasser Vocational Training Center (Green Anode Density Prediction for ALBA)
INFINITEWARE (Labor Law Instant Chat)

Best Applications for Smart Devices Award

Ministry of Interior General Directorate of Traffic (eTraffic Application)
Bahrain Islamic Bank (Bisb Application)
Unipal (Unipal Application)

Citizen Sector Award - Best Digital Initiative Award

Salem Mesifer - Infrastructure Maintenance Initiation Using Artificial Intelligence
Ibtisam Ali | Zainab Gulfam - Abshir App
Asya Ali Habib - Together for a better vision app
Saleh Kadhem Abdulla - MyBFA / BFA connect