Bahrain Police Chief: Gulf Integration in Digital Government Enhances Development of Public Services

Manama, October 28 (KUNA) -- Bahraini Police Chief Major General Tariq Al-Hasan emphasized today, Wednesday, the importance of enhancing joint Gulf cooperation to develop the digital government framework, integrate government systems and services, and leverage successful experiences and achievements in digital transformation indicators.

This was stated in a speech delivered by the Bahraini Police Chief while chairing the 10th meeting of the Ministerial Committee for Digital Government of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The meeting was attended by ministers and senior officials responsible for digital government entities in GCC member states, including Omar Al-Omar, Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology and Acting Minister of Information and Culture.

He stressed the importance of harnessing artificial intelligence to develop services and enhance cybersecurity, thereby supporting the sustainability of government services and improving the quality of services provided to citizens and residents in GCC countries. This comes at a time when technological transformations are accelerating, increasing our responsibilities in developing government operations and enhancing their capacity to respond to future requirements.

The Police Chief affirmed that the developmental journey of GCC countries enjoys the support of the leaders of the member states, may God protect them, and the follow-up of their esteemed governments, which has contributed to the development of government operations and consolidated the standing of our countries in global digital government indices.

He clarified that digital transformation has become a cornerstone for building a competitive economy and improving the quality of life. He noted that the ranking of GCC countries among the leading nations in the United Nations E-Government Survey reflects the success of the Gulf experience, emphasizing the importance of maximizing its value through joint efforts and transitioning from technical connectivity to integrated Gulf digital services that facilitate the lives of Gulf citizens and consolidate digital citizenship. He added that the ambition is to provide more integrated and proactive government services that shift from responding to demand to anticipating needs.

Regarding artificial intelligence, he affirmed that it represents both an opportunity and a challenge for the future of governments, requiring organized frameworks and ethics for its use. He expressed pride in the approval of Bahrain’s initiative on the 2023 AI Ethics Guidelines and the adoption of the GCC Strategic Guidelines for Artificial Intelligence.

He also stressed that recent regional developments, including the unjust Iranian aggression targeting data centers and internet lines, confirm that digital infrastructure security is an integral part of the overall security system. This necessitates enhancing Gulf cooperation in cybersecurity, business continuity, disaster recovery, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

The members of the Ministerial Committee discussed several agenda items and adopted the necessary decisions and recommendations. The committee approved, regarding the minutes of the Executive Committee for Digital Government and its subordinate committees, the formation of a committee named the "Digital Government Award Committee," along with its tasks and operational mechanisms.

Regarding the re-evaluation of transferring the Digital Trust Services Committee to the Ministerial Committee for Cybersecurity, the committee decided, within the framework of continuing to develop the joint Gulf work system in the fields of digital government, artificial intelligence, and digital services, to adopt the GCC Artificial Intelligence Strategy.

The committee reviewed the progress achieved in implementing decisions issued at its ninth meeting and initiatives of the Strategic Guidelines for E-Government (2024–2030), emphasizing the importance of implementing these initiatives to enhance the advancement of digital government in GCC countries. The committee also reviewed the results of the Government Technology Maturity Index (GTMI) issued by the World Bank.

She praised the advanced level achieved by Gulf governments in the field of e-government and their international distinction, thanks to their adoption of innovation and the use of modern technologies in developing their government services. In the context of enhancing digital cooperation and exchanging expertise, the Ministerial Committee outlined areas of cooperation with the European Union, the People’s Republic of China, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, emphasizing the impact of this cooperation in strengthening the exchange of expertise and knowledge with sister and friendly countries, as well as benefiting from experiences and lessons learned in the field of business continuity. It also discussed ways to develop Gulf digital trust services by linking national trust lists among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which contributes to enhancing digital integration, facilitating mutual use of digital services, supporting their reliability, and expanding their scope of use in line with the GCC states’ aspirations to develop an integrated digital government system. The committee also reviewed the key contents of the ninth edition of the “DCO Policies Watch” newsletter issued by the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), which addresses topics related to digital policies and trends. At the conclusion of the meeting, the ministers stressed the importance of continuing joint GCC coordination and cooperation, and intensifying efforts to develop the digital government system, thereby enhancing integration among GCC member states and improving the quality of government services provided to citizens and residents. (End) K.N.A / H.S.S