Bahrain embraces global digital technologies, data revolution

TDT | Manama    

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) launched the 9th Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange (SDMX) Global Conference in Bahrain under the theme ‘Empowering Data Communities’.

Held in the Middle East for the first time, the event is a collaboration between the iGA and number of international organisations.

The event has drawn more than 500 participants from 107 countries, including data science experts, officials from regional and international institutions, statisticians, and data users from national, regional, and international organisations, as well as academia and the private sector.

The opening ceremony commenced with a keynote address by Rasheed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), in which he highlighted the CBB’s dedication to the development of official statistics with a focus on enhancing monetary and financial stability while ensuring the sustainable development of the financial industry.

He emphasised the importance of high-quality official statistics that can be effectively managed and published, recognising their impact on the bank’s policies and initiatives, and adding that this information also empowers financial institutions and the general public.

Al Maraj also highlighted the CBB’s commitment to offering a variety of transparent monthly and annual statistical publications, and its focus on harnessing digital technologies to improve data accessibility and utilisation, in alignment with global best practices.

During his speech, iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed underlined the iGA’s core principles and unwavering commitment to turning Bahrain into a digital society, in line with the vision of the senior leadership and the directives of His Excellency Gen.Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology (MCICT).