A major eGovernment forum and IT expo opening today (April 8) in Bahrain is expected to draw more than 500 local and international visitors.

The fifth Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2012 will be organised at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa.

Shaikh Mohammed will also open the Bahrain IT Expo and honour this year's winners of the eGovernment Excellence Award during the forum's inauguration.

The exhibition, being held at Ritz-Carlton's Al Ghazal Ballroom, will be open to the public tomorrow from 9am to 3pm and on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9am to 5pm.

Forum sessions will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday from 8.30am to 2.30pm at the Ritz-Carlton's Al Noor Ballroom.

The conference will explore the latest developments in ICT, with particular focus on topics related to eGovernment, eParticipation, eInnovations, Mobility, Social Media and Open Data.

There will be four workshops organised by specialised societies and organisations and presented by prominent regional and international experts who will share their professional knowledge and experience.

It is organised by the eGovernment Authority in co-operation with Bahrain Society of Engineers, Bahrain Internet Society and Project Management Institute - Arabian Gulf Chapter.

Microsoft is set to have a major presence at the forum as a diamond sponsor.

The company will showcase both enterprise solutions and consumer offerings at the event which has become an educative and informative meeting ground for local, regional and international experts in the eGovernment sphere. – TradeArabia News Service