Communications Minister: Exchange of Gulf experiences in digital government enhances integration and service development

Manama, Oct 28 (KUNA) -- Kuwait’s Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs and Acting Minister of Information and Culture, Omar Al-Omar, stressed on Wednesday the importance of exchanging expertise and experiences among the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries in the field of digital government, a move that contributes to developing the Gulf digital ecosystem, enhancing integration and joint coordination, and keeping pace with rapid technological developments.

Speaking to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on the sidelines of chairing the Kuwaiti delegation at the 10th Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee on Digital Government, held in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Al-Omar noted that GCC cooperation in digital government constitutes a fundamental pillar for developing government services, improving their efficiency and quality through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, leveraging successful experiences, and unifying efforts in technical and digital fields.

He emphasized the importance of the meeting in advancing GCC cooperation in the areas of digital transformation and information and communications technology (ICT), as well as discussing joint initiatives and projects that contribute to developing digital government operations and elevating the level of electronic services in GCC member states.

He pointed out that the meeting addressed several items on its agenda, foremost among which was the adoption of the GCC Strategy for Artificial Intelligence for the period 2026–2030 and the GCC Digital Government Award, alongside monitoring the implementation of previous decisions and discussing joint initiatives to develop the digital government ecosystem and enhance integration among GCC countries.

Al-Omar clarified that the meeting explored ways to strengthen GCC cooperation in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital transformation, digital services, cybersecurity, and business continuity. It also discussed developing joint work mechanisms, exchanging expertise, and sharing best practices to enhance the efficiency of government services and keep pace with rapid technological advancements.

Furthermore, the meeting reviewed cooperation aspects regarding the ninth edition of the DOC Policies Watch newsletter issued by the Digital Cooperation Organization, as well as reviewing relevant international reports and indicators on the maturity level of government technology and the efforts made to enhance digital transformation in GCC countries.

Minister Al-Omar praised the Kingdom of Bahrain for hosting the meeting and providing an organization that reflects its commitment to supporting the trajectory of joint GCC work and enhancing cooperation and coordination among member states in the fields of digital government and ICT. He commended the role of the GCC Secretariat General and its ongoing efforts to continue developing cooperation among Gulf countries.

He affirmed Kuwait’s aspiration to continue cooperating with sister GCC countries, exchanging expertise and successful experiences to support the development of joint digital initiatives, enhance Gulf integration, and contribute to building an advanced digital government system that responds to the development needs and aspirations of the peoples of the GCC countries.

The Kuwaiti delegation participating in the meeting, in addition to Minister Al-Omar, included Najat Al-Toum, Acting Director General of the Central Agency for Information Technology. (End) K.N.A. / H.S.S.