Manama : The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) received the Champions Award during the the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), recognising the revamped National Portal, bahrain.bh, from among more than 1,000 submissions globally under the eGovernment category as part of “ICT Applications: Benefits in All Aspects of Life categories.”
Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, the iGA Chief Executive, expressed pride in the achievement, highlighting the directives of General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), to enhance the National Portal bahrain.bh and digital channels, improve access to government services, and enhance user experience.
Al Qaed underscored the iGA’s mission to continuously develop eServices since the portal’s launch in 2007, in line with technological advancements and the needs of citizen and resident. Following several development stages, the portal offers information on 1,300+ government services, 680+ eServices, seamless electronic integration with more than 40 public and private entities, with monthly visits that surpassed 1.5 million visits.
The National Portal’s key features include user profile ‘Personalisation’, a favourite eServices list, ‘Government Notifications’ for various government entities, a transaction history spanning six months, and a smart assistant ‘Chatbot’. The portal supports multiple payment methods, including BenefitPay and Apple Pay, and provides secure payment options through a “Saved Cards” feature, enabling users to easily store bank or credit cards.
Al Qaed praised the portal users, citizens and residents, for their significant contributions towards this achievement, emphasising their cooperation with the iGA and their feedback and suggestions through various interactive channels.
During the WSIS 2024 awarding ceremony that took place in Geneva, Switzerland, the Champions award was received on behalf of the Information & eGovernment Authority by a representative from the Kingdom of Bahrain’s Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.
WSIS is an annual event held in Geneva by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to spotlight digital projects that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is co-organised by ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
