Bahrain has made successive accomplishments in eGovernment within a very short time, Deputy Prime Minister and Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa said.

Citing Bahrain's 18th position among 192 members according to the UN eGovernment Survey, the Deputy Premier said this year's edition of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum coincides with the initiation of government's policy directions towards conversion into electronic transactions and application of best practices in the eGovernment field, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Shaikh Mohammed said Bahrain hosted numerous UN delegations that came to benefit from the kingdom's experience in building capacity - a step that affirms the trust of the international community in Bahrain and its international position in this field.

Bahrain has been chosen as the first country to embrace the visit of several UN-led delegations, comprising representatives from countries around the world.

The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Premier Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, ministers, members of parliament and the Shura Council, senior officials and members of the diplomatic corps.

Kuwaiti Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Mubarak Al Sabah, Sweden's former prime minister John Fredrik Reinfeldt, Ambassador-Head of European Union Delegation to the GCC Region Adam Kulach and nearly 700 delegates from different countries attended.

In a speech during the opening ceremony, Mr Reinfeldt said the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum was the only event mentioned in the United Nations eGovernment Survey. He said urbanisation, population and digitisation were the main challenges for eGovernment today and called for effective use of eGovernment to create more jobs.

“I am very impressed to see what has been achieved by Bahrain in eGovernment and I will transfer the eGovernment experience of Bahrain to my country,” he added.

A panel discussion along with six more plenary sessions will continue today with internationally and locally distinguished speakers. The Deputy Premier will also inaugurate Bahrain IT Expo 2015 tomorrow at the Paddock Hall in Bahrain International Circuit.

Eight workshops will be held from tomorrow to Thursday to discuss future technology trends in smart cities and the best practices in eGovernment, with discussions of GCC-EU co-operation in the field of research and innovation in projects and services.

The forum has been organised by the eGovernment Authority in association with Bahrain Society of Engineers, Projects Management Institute - Arabian Gulf Chapter, and YouthTech. - TradeArabia News Service