Page 80 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

E-government in Saudi Arabia Makes Huge Advances Amid Pandemic

E-government experts recently gathered efficient, real-time, transparent, secure and operational cost, he said. Bishr mentioned
for a virtual “meetup” during which they cost-effective manner, it was agreed. Al- digital transformation initiatives such as
discussed how countries with advanced Asiri highlighted Saudi Arabia’s successful Smart Dubai and Dubai Pulse that were
e-services managed to continue to digital transformation to home-based imperative in harnessing the power of
serve their citizens successfully during remote work to contain COVID-19. “We emerging and enabling technologies such
the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were very successful in working from as AI, blockchain, cloud computing and big
crisis. Organized by the Saudi Ministry home and this was possible because data for sustainable and productive growth
of Communications and Information of ongoing digital transformation in the to overcome the prevailing challenges
Technology (MCIT) and titled “The shape Kingdom as part of Vision 2030,” he said, of our society, she said. The experts
of e-government during and after the noting that Saudi Arabia has taken great agreed that on this journey of digital
pandemic,” the meeting highlighted the strides in its digital transformation, ranked transformation governments need to pay
important role that e-government played 41 out of 193 countries around the world great attention to Cybersecurity, resilience,
during the lockdown and how varied in the UN’s most recent e-government incident response, awareness and
models helped employment e-platforms development index. The new realities business continuity practices to provide
in providing services for all. It was a of staying at home, social distancing, uninterrupted and secure e-services to
lesson for many countries to accelerate teleworking and remote learning are urging connected communities. The meeting was
their digital transformation. Moderated by governments across the globe to make a held under the auspices of ThinkTech, an
ICT Coordinator at the UN Development rapid digital transformation to provide easy MCIT initiative that explores technology
Program Dany Wazen, the meeting’s guest use of e-services for citizens, simplifying developments, looking to achieve
speakers included Ali Al-Asiri, CEO at the compliance of governmental laws for sustainable development and build an
Saudi e-government program Yesser, citizens, improving citizen engagement innovative and informed generation in line
Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, chief executive and trust and decreasing fraud and with Saudi Vision 2030.
of the information and e-government
authority in Bahrain, Dr. Aisha bin Bishr,
director general at Smart Dubai Office
and Andy Main, global head of Deloitte
Digital. The experts said that during the
crisis governments introduced a hyper-
connected world, which brought many
opportunities for them to provide electronic
accessibility and public services to their
citizens through digital platforms. Al-Asiri
said that this digital transformation was
only possible with strategic vision and
policies, ICT infrastructure, connected
society and skilled human capital. The
fundamental objective of e-government
is to offer public services to citizens in an

Internet Use Rose by 50 Percent during COVID-19 in Bangladesh

State Minister for ICT Zunaid Ahmed Palak ness Administration (IBA) of University of being used extensively during Covid-19 as
said that the use of the internet increased Dhaka. Mentioning that this is one of the the increasing usages of technology are
50 percent during the coronavirus pan- best examples of how to keep the econo- playing a pivotal role in expediting global
demic. Besides, online marketing has in- my running by using information technol- changes including economic activities. If
creased to 50 percent while the number ogy during disasters and pandemics, the we fail to adapt, the country will lag behind,
of opening of mobile accounts went up to state minister said that advanced technol- said Palak. He said that ICT division’s LICT
50 lakhs, said Palak. He came up with the ogies like robot, machine learning, artificial project and IBA are conducting the ACMP
information while inaugurating “Advanced intelligence (AI), and data analytics will 4.0 training course like a virtual universi-
Certification for Management Profession- be the driving force of life and economy ty. Palak called upon the IT professionals
als (ACMP) 4.0 Summer 2020” training in the future. “That's why everyone needs to take forward the economic activities by
course through zoom online jointly orga- to have some idea about these technol- taking the training suitable for the Industri-
nized by LICT project and Institute of Busi- ogies,” he said. Advanced technology is al Revolution 4.0 in the changed situation.

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