'Sahl' Wins Two GCC Awards... Best Comprehensive Government App and Digital Excellence via 'Birth Journey' - Sarmad

Kuwait achieved a dual Gulf milestone as the unified government e-services application “Sahl” won the award for Best Comprehensive Government Application, while “Baby Journey” received the Excellence Award in the category of Best Government Digital Service, within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Digital Government Awards.

The announcement of this achievement came during the seventh edition of the awards, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, in a coronation that reflects the success of Kuwait’s experience in digitizing government services, enhancing integration among entities, and improving user experience.

State Minister for Communications and Information Technology and Acting Minister of Media and Culture, Omar Al-Omar, expressed his pride and honor in this dual Gulf coronation on Thursday, emphasizing that the victory of “Sahl” and the excellence of “Baby Journey” reflect Kuwait’s progress in developing digital government services and embody the success of joint government efforts in providing more integrated and efficient services.

Al-Omar stated: “We dedicate this achievement to His Highness the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, His Highness the Crown Prince, Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, and His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, may God protect and guard them, in appreciation of their continuous support for the digital transformation journey in Kuwait and their commitment to developing government services and facilitating the lives of citizens and residents.”

He added that “winning two Gulf awards in a single day is a source of pride and honor, and confirms the success of the vision that launched the ‘Sahl’ application, not only in consolidating government services under a single digital umbrella, but also in developing the way they are delivered and transitioning from individual services to integrated digital journeys that place citizens’ needs at the core of the development process.”

Al-Omar affirmed that this coronation represents a shared national achievement for all government entities participating in the “Sahl” application, noting that the excellence of “Baby Journey” at the Gulf level is a special recognition of the efforts of the seven participating entities: the Ministries of Justice, Health, Interior, and Commerce and Industry, the Public Authority for Civil Information, the Public Authority for Manpower, and the Diwan of Civil Service, whose coordinated efforts provided an integrated digital experience that streamlines government procedures related to newborns.

He expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the leaders of the participating government entities, members of the Executive Committee of the “Sahl” application, and the technical and administrative teams that contributed to developing the application and its digital journeys, emphasizing that these awards are the culmination of joint national efforts and continuous behind-the-scenes work that resulted in providing easier and more efficient government services to citizens and residents.

Al-Omar pointed out that the next phase will see continued development of the application and expansion in launching more digital journeys, alongside leveraging artificial intelligence technologies and proactive services, and enhancing integration among government entities. He affirmed that this dual Gulf coronation represents a doubled responsibility to continue development and elevate the quality of government services and user experience.

For his part, Colonel Bashar Al-Sayed Hashem, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the “Sahl” application, confirmed in a similar statement that winning the award for Best Comprehensive Government Application and the excellence of “Baby Journey” reflect the success of the joint government work system, which is based on continuous coordination among government entities, reengineering procedures, developing services, and enhancing connectivity and data exchange.

He clarified that the “Sahl” app has managed to consolidate services from 42 government entities within a unified digital platform. Meanwhile, the “Newborn Journey” has served as a practical model for transitioning government entities from providing separate services to operating within an integrated digital journey, where government procedures and systems are interconnected to better serve citizens.

He added that this achievement is the result of collective efforts by government entities, as well as the participating technical and administrative teams. He emphasized that the Executive Committee will continue working to accelerate the digitization of services and develop new digital journeys, thereby enhancing government performance efficiency and saving time and effort for users.

For her part, Executive Committee member Fajr Al-Yassin affirmed that the dual Gulf recognition reflects the importance of focusing on the quality of digital government services and user experience. She noted that developing the “Sahl” app is not limited to increasing the number of services, but also includes improving ease of use, clarifying procedures, and ensuring the services’ ability to meet beneficiaries’ needs.

Al-Yassin explained that the “Newborn Journey” represents a model of this approach, as it was designed around family needs to provide an integrated experience that simplifies procedures related to a newborn, rather than dealing with each government entity separately.

She added that user feedback and suggestions form a fundamental element in the continued development of the app and its services. She stressed that maintaining user trust requires ongoing improvements in quality, ease of use, and the elevation of the digital experience.

In a similar statement, Executive Committee member Amira Abdulrahim clarified that this achievement reflects the importance of technical integration among government systems and its role in building a unified digital platform capable of delivering integrated services efficiently and reliably.

She confirmed that the success of the “Newborn Journey” resulted from joint technical efforts to achieve connectivity and data exchange among participating government entities, contributing to reducing the repetition of procedures and documents, and facilitating the transfer of transactions between government systems.

She viewed the development of technical infrastructure and enhancing the readiness of government systems as a crucial foundation for the sustainability of digital services and the expansion of launching more integrated journeys. She commended the efforts of the technical teams in participating entities, which contributed to the success of this initiative and achieved this Gulf distinction.

This recognition comes in appreciation of the progress made by the “Sahl” app in delivering government services through a unified digital platform encompassing 42 government entities, allowing citizens and residents to complete their transactions electronically with ease and efficiency. It also acknowledges the success of the “Newborn Journey” in providing an advanced model of government integration that consolidates services and procedures from various government entities within a single digital journey centered on the needs of Kuwaiti families.

This dual achievement marks a new milestone in the digital transformation journey of the State of Kuwait, combining excellence in building a comprehensive government platform with excellence in developing digital services and journeys that streamline procedures and simplify the user experience.

This achievement adds another Gulf accolade to the “Sahl” app’s record, following its receipt of a special honor at the Arab Government Excellence Award and winning the Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Award for Informatics in 2025, reflecting the continued presence of the Kuwaiti experience in specialized forums on digitalization and government services.

This dual recognition confirms that the success of digital transformation is measured not only by the number of services or completed transactions, but also by the ability of government entities to work and integrate within a single system, delivering a comprehensive digital experience that enhances service quality and facilitates the lives of citizens and residents.

Bahraini Interior Minister and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology, Field Marshal Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Bedaiwi attended the ceremony honoring the winners of the GCC Digital Government Award, held yesterday evening in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Speaking at the event, the Bahraini minister stated that practical experiences and expertise confirm that security, development, and investment in technology are two sides of the same coin. He emphasized that joint efforts and rapid coordination to address the new rhythm in the concept of security and response have become an imperative, particularly as technology and artificial intelligence have transcended borders, turning the digital space into an open arena for movement without permission or restrictions.

He added that the security of digital infrastructure has become an integral part of national security and a country’s capacity for resilience and continuity. This necessitates continuing to strengthen Gulf cooperation in the field of cybersecurity, enhancing readiness, exchanging expertise and information, and ensuring the continuity of vital services under all circumstances.

For his part, the Secretary-General stressed in a similar address that the GCC Digital Government Award holds special significance, as it is not merely an occasion to honor winning entities, but a Gulf platform for discovering outstanding ideas, stimulating innovation, and transforming successful experiences into opportunities for development and shared benefit.

He noted that “the true value of this award is measured not only by the number of winning entities, but by our ability to disseminate successful experiences and leverage innovative solutions, transforming individual achievements into added value for joint Gulf efforts.”

The ceremony included a short film about the award, its previous stages, and its role in stimulating activities and fields of work related to digital government in GCC member states.

The Bahraini Interior Minister, Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology, and the GCC Secretary-General presented awards to the winners of the 2026 GCC Digital Government Award, members of the judging panel, and the founders of the award from GCC member states.