Center will help grow Arab eContent and expand its presence on the web Towards reaching a Knowledge-Based Society in Bahrain
Manama - Kingdom of Bahrain: The eGovernment Authority of Bahrain and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) signed a Project Document to support the creation of the Arab Center for eContent Development. The center, which will be headquartered in Bahrain, will help grow Arab eContent and expand its quality presence with an international standard, , reaching out to a knowledge-based Society.
The agreement was signed by His Excellency Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatallah Al Khalifa, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Mr. Sayed Aqa, UNDP Resident Representative in Bahrain at a formal ceremony in the UN House in Al-Hoora. The ceremony was attended by CEO of eGovernment Authority Mohammed Al Qaed and a number of senior executives from the eGovernment Authority and UNDP.
As per the terms of the agreement, the eGovernment Authority and UNDP will co-finance the creation of the center equally at a total cost of USD486,000. The center mainly aims to develop Arab eContent by increasing its presence on the web relative to other languages, improving Arab online search engine capabilities, and building skills in the area of eGovernment. The center will also audit the quality of eContent and issue accredited certifications in this regard.
Moreover, the center will serve both the private and public sector both locally and regionally, and is expected to play a major role in fostering a robust business environment and creating sustainable economic growth, in line with the objectives of Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.
“We are truly honored that Bahrain, represented by the eGovernment Authority, is quickly becoming a pioneer in world-class technical initiatives that serve the general public,” said His Excellency. “This latest program will further solidify Bahrain’s position globally in the area of eContent, and create a better tomorrow for Bahrain and our fellow Arab nations.”
“The focal point of this initiative will be to train and develop Bahrainis and attract local and foreign investments to pursue similar partnerships which will, in turn, create even more lucrative job opportunities for our youth,” His Excellency added.
Mr. Aqa referred to UNDP’s 2006 Report issued in Bahrain and highlighted that “knowledge based society is not only crucial for economic growth, but for sustainable development across the board, for the development of citizens of Kingdom of Bahrain. The discussions and research suggested that Bahrain possess fundamental elements, which enables it to create a Knowledge-Based Society (KBS) in Bahrain. From one side, Bahrain has a regional heritage, through which it could maintain and build a bridge between the Arab/Islamic world and the world of technology, utilizing and building on its society’s wisdom and sophistication. On another side, Bahrain could build on its ability to leverage technology (computing, communications, and content) to create a networking-based capability that will enable the development of new capability and business platforms. Finally, Bahrain could capitalize on its human capital, utilizing it as the basis for economic and social progress”. Mr. Aqa added that the “Center for eContent Development is one of the fruits reaped through the UNDP’s numerous efforts in Bahrain. The center will offer a professional eTraining program which will engender a rich and dynamic knowledge environment for employees in particular, and citizens and residents in general.”
He went on to add that the center will not only enrich Arab digital content, but also support the consultation services which the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) provides by incorporating the strategy of the capacity building program in Bahrain and its recommendations.
In addition to enhancing Arab eContent and search engines, The Center for eContent Development rely heavily on Web 2.0 tools to allow the public to play a larger role in the creation of useful content, and advance eGovernment growth by setting new guidelines and standards that enable users to find the desired information more quickly and easily.
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About eGovernment Authority Bahrain
The eGovernment Authority (eGA) was established by Royal Decree No. (69) in August 2007. Reporting to the Cabinet, the eGA aims to coordinate and execute e-government initiatives in line with the strategies, plans, and programs set by the Supreme Committee for Information Communication Technology (SCICT), headed by HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister.
The eGA’s role entails everything from proposing overall policies and appropriate legislations to the SCICT for approval to overseeing the execution of the approved SCICT programs. This includes suggesting required IT programs, facilitating communications and services between all government entities, opening new e-channels for e-government services, and offering technical and knowledge-based support to the ministries and other government entities.
Currently, the eGA is working on executing the plans contained within Bahrain’s e-government strategy to achieve the ambitious Bahraini e-initiatives, as well as offering 200 basic governmental services electronically via various communication channels within 3 years to all citizens, residents, and businesses of Bahrain.
The eGA formed up of 4 directorates: Directorate of Policies and BPR, Directorate of Service Delivery and Channel Enhancement, Directorate of Marketing and Awareness and Directorate of Human and Financial Resources and Capacity Building.
For further information please contact:
Lulwa S. Ebrahim
eGovernment Authority
Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel +973 17 388380
Fax: +973 17 388338
Email: lebrahim@ega.gov.bh
© Press Release 2009
