The first federal e-Government program forum to be held in Dubai will discuss the strategic plan of the Federal e-Government program and also study UAE's progress towards achieving a knowledge-based society.

The forum, organised by the General Information Authority (GIA), will be held on Wednesday at the Zayed University Dubai.

It will gather representatives from the federal ministries as well as international experts in an effort to reinforce collaboration among key stakeholders of the e-Government initiative and help accelerate the UAE's transformation towards a knowledge-based and society.

Humaid Al Qutami, minister of health and GIA chairman, will be present to welcome the participants, while Salem Khamis Al-Shair, director general of GIA, will conduct a presentation and facilitate discussions on the subject "Highlights on the Strategic Plan of the Federal e-Government."

David McClure, managing vice president – Global Government Research, Gartner, will speak on "e-Government: Blurring Boundaries Present Both Opportunities and Risks."

"The forum is an important milestone for the GIA's efforts to consolidate the e-Government initiative in the UAE. It is the GIA's vision to accelerate the country's transformation towards a fully digital society, and with the support of all e-Government advocates in the country, we are greatly confident that we can achieve our goals," said Al Qutami.

"The development of e-Governmental services is clearly highlighted in the UAE Government Strategy and it is the GIA's mandate to realise this important vision of the federal government," he noted.

"However, it is also imperative that we gather the support and participation of all ministries and government authorities who will be responsible in the society's electronic transformation in order to create a suitable strategic plan for the e-Government initiative."

"The forum will be a major breakthrough as it will encourage all e-Government stakeholders to exchange ideas and share expertise towards realising our ultimate goal, which is to establish a strong foundation for a knowledge-based economy and society," Al Qutami observed.

Al Shair said the e-Government initiative was a tool that enabled governments to implement the principles of good governance, promote service quality and efficiency, and improve the communication lines between the public and the government.

"This will ultimately contribute in formulating government services that satisfy the needs of the public. Moreover, our strategy for the electronic transformation of the Federal Government, which will be presented during the forum, will take advantage of Web 2.0 capabilities and the advances we have gained as a knowledge-based society," he added.-TradeArabia News Service