'Sahl' Wins Two Gulf Awards for Best Comprehensive Government App and Excellence in Digital Services via 'Birth Journey'

- Within the framework of the seventh edition of the GCC Digital Government Awards, hosted by Bahrain, Kuwait achieved a dual Gulf-wide success. The unified government electronic services application “Sahel” won the award for Best Comprehensive Government Application, while “Baby Journey” received the Excellence Award in the category of Best Digital Government Service, as part of the GCC Digital Government Awards.

The announcement of this achievement came during the seventh edition of the awards, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain yesterday, in a culmination 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 recognition to the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) on Thursday. He emphasized that the victory of “Sahel” and the excellence of “Baby Journey” reflect the progress Kuwait has made in developing digital government services, embodying the success of joint government efforts in delivering more integrated and efficient services.

Al-Omar stated, “We dedicate this achievement to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad, His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Al-Khaled, and His Highness Sheikh Ahmad Al-Abdullah, Prime Minister, in appreciation of their continuous support for Kuwait’s digital transformation journey 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, confirming the success of the vision behind the ‘Sahel’ application. This vision not only consolidated government services under a single digital umbrella but also transformed the way they are delivered, moving from individual services to integrated digital journeys that place citizens’ needs at the core of the development process.”

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

He expressed his sincere gratitude and appreciation to the leaders of the participating government entities, the executive committee members of the “Sahel” application, and the technical and administrative teams that contributed to developing the application and its digital journeys. He emphasized 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 the expansion of new digital journeys, alongside leveraging artificial intelligence technologies and proactive services to enhance integration among government entities. He stressed that this dual Gulf recognition represents a doubled responsibility to continue developing and elevating the quality of government services and user experience.

For his part, Colonel Bashar Al-Sayed Hashem, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the “Sahel” application, stated in a similar remark to KUNA 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, while the “Newborn Journey” served as a practical model for government entities transitioning from providing separate services to operating within an integrated digital journey, where government procedures and systems are interconnected to 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, emphasizing that the Executive Committee will continue to work on accelerating the digitization of services and developing new digital journeys, thereby enhancing government performance efficiency and saving time and effort for users.

For her part, Fajr Al-Yassin, a member of the Executive Committee, told (KUNA) that the dual Gulf accolades reflect 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, clarity of procedures, and the ability to meet the needs of beneficiaries.

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, emphasizing that maintaining user trust requires ongoing improvements in quality, ease of use, and elevating the digital experience.

For her part, Amira Abdulrahim, another member of the Executive Committee, stated in a similar remark 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 affirmed 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 duplication 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, commending the efforts of technical teams in participating entities that contributed to the success of this initiative and achieved this Gulf distinction.

This accolade comes in recognition of the progress made by the “Sahl” app in providing 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 combines services and procedures from several 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 record of the “Sahl” app, following its receipt of a special honor within 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 digitization 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 by the ability of government entities to work and integrate within a single system, providing an integrated digital experience that enhances service quality and simplifies the lives of citizens and residents.

Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, who also serves as Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology, Field Marshal Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, and GCC Secretary-General Jasem Al-Budaiwi, 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 real-world 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 adapt to the new paradigm of security and response have become imperative, particularly as technology and artificial intelligence have transcended traditional boundaries, turning the digital space into an open arena for unrestricted movement.

He added that securing digital infrastructure has become an integral part of national security, resilience, and continuity, necessitating continued enhancement of Gulf cooperation in cybersecurity, improved readiness, exchange of expertise and information, and assurance of 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 identifying 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, leverage innovative solutions, and convert individual achievements into added value for joint Gulf efforts.”

The ceremony featured a short film about the award, its previous editions, and its role in stimulating digital government activities and sectors across GCC member states.

Bahrain’s Minister of Interior, 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.