In accordance with the directives of General Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive of the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), participated in the 8th GCC eGovernment Ministerial Committee meeting.
Chaired by Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Qatar’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the meeting was attended by Dr. Khalid Almutawah, iGA Deputy CEO.
Key agenda items discussed included the launch of the eGovernment Guidance Strategy (2024-2030), developed under the leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain. This strategy realigns the vision, goals, and work plans to meet current trends and future challenges.
This initiative follows the completion of the previous strategy launched in 2014, which enabled GCC countries to achieve high rankings in the United Nations eGovernment Readiness Survey and laid the foundation for digital transformation within member states.
The committee also reviewed minutes from sub-committee meetings, which included discussions and approvals regarding joint electronic services, unified software procurement, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and digital trust services.
Furthermore, the Ministerial Committee approved a unified framework for digital access for GCC countries, prepared by Qatar, and praised the Digital Government Authority in Saudi Arabia for successfully hosting the fifth edition of the GCC Digital Government Award (DGA) during the second Digital Government Forum in December 2023. The committee also approved a proposal to organize the award annually in the country holding the presidency round.
The meeting included updates on the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) from Saudi Arabia, which will host the forum from December 15-19, organized by the United Nations. The committee emphasized the forum’s role in shaping internet governance policies, exchanging information, and exploring best practices and solutions while stressing the importance of unity and the consideration of members’ views and suggestions during discussions.
Additionally, the committee approved the distribution of a “Digital Landscape in the GCC” booklet to member states, summarizing discussions organized by the General Secretariat in Riyadh during 2023. These sessions covered topics such as online misinformation, tax and financial incentives for the ICT sector, the digital skills gap among youth and women, digital rights, intellectual property, and public-private partnerships aimed at enhancing the digital economy.
Upon reviewing the General Secretariat’s report, the committee commended the GCC countries for their significant progress in the UN E-Government Survey, which reflects their high rankings in the E-Government Development Index (EGDI). The members expressed hopes for continued digital advancements to strengthen the Council’s regional and global standing.
The General Secretariat presented its report on the implementation of decisions from the seventh meeting, and the committee approved a proposal to hold the eighth meeting in October 2025, tasking the chairing country with setting the location and date.