Information and eGovernment Authority (iGA) Chief Executive, HE Mohammed Ali Al Qaed participated in the ‘Future Vision of Digital Government Through the Lens of COVID-19’ webinar, which was organized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s eGovernment Programme ‘YESSER’ and the World Bank.
Shedding light on the role of modern technology in combatting the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), the webinar was attended by digital government experts from KSA, UAE, UK, Finland, and Australia, as well as speakers from the World Bank Group, World Bank, and the United Nations.
During the first session titled ‘Digital Government Practices: COVID-19 – An Immediate Response’, Al Qaed showcased Bahrain’s digital transformation experience, citing His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s vision to employ modern technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving government services.
He further commended the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, and the support extended to further develop and deploy the use of technology as part of national efforts to combat the virus.
Al Qaed highlighted the Kingdom’s goal to provide a centralised infrastructure for government services, and its focus on cybersecurity, one of the pillars of its IT system.
He noted iGA’s in safeguarding government data by relying on the best protection systems and programs. HE also discussed how the Kingdom’s Cloud-First Policy has supported national efforts aimed at combating the COVID-19, revealing that since 2017 approximately 61% of services have been transferred to the cloud computing system, reducing costs, improving efficiency, and offering unlimited capacity.
Al Qaed concluded by presenting the most notable features of the app, which has recorded more than 758,000 downloads and more than 401,000 registrations by citizens and residents. Its features include drive-through test bookings for individuals completing their home self-isolation periods, providing online access to test results, latest local and global COVID-19 updates as well as measures and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
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