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Bahrain - Spreading knowledge through cyber-space

Tuesday, 24 November 2009 13:58

Long a leader in the utilisation of information technology (IT), Bahrain is working to hone its advantage, further building on its electronic services programme at home while spreading knowledge through cyber-space across the Arab world.

A recent report by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) revealed that internet use in the majority of Arab countries remains below the prevailing global rate of 21% of the population. In part this could be due to the low level of Arabic content on websites - presently around 1% of the total.

In its Arab Knowledge report 2009, issued at the end of October, the UNDP said there was an urgent need for further research to understand the interaction of the Arabic language with technological developments and to meet the growing demands of Arab users.

In its report, the UNDP cited Bahrain as one of four Arab countries ranked in the top-50 globally as being most ready for investment in the area of information and communications technology (ICT). That readiness, along with Bahrain's strong commitment to ICT, may well have influenced the UNDP to partner with the Kingdom in a new project.

On November 2, Bahrain's eGovernment Authority (EGA) and the UNDP formally signed an agreement to establish the Arab Centre for eContent Development, a $460,000 project that will be based in Bahrain.

The main objective of the centre will be to develop Arab e-content by increasing its presence on the web relative to other languages, improving Arab online search engine capabilities and building skills in the area of e-government. It will also audit the quality of e-content and issue accredited certifications, while serving the private and public sectors both locally and regionally. As part of Vision 2030, the long-term plan spearheaded by the Economic Development Board (EDB) that is guiding the economic future of the country, the centre is expected to help foster a robust business environment.

In part, this will be done by providing Bahrainis with IT training, thus helping to create further employment opportunities. Yet not only could the centre create many jobs locally, the expertise it helps generate will result in thousands of jobs all over the Arab world, said Sheikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa, the cabinet affairs minister who signed the joint agreement on behalf of the government.

"Bahrain is quickly becoming a pioneer in world-class technical initiatives that serve the general public," said Sheikh Ateyatala, who is also a member of Bahrain's Supreme Committee for ICT. "This programme will further consolidate the Kingdom's position globally in the area of e-content, and create a better tomorrow for Bahrain and our fellow Arab nations."

Bahrain launched the e-government project in 2007, with the aim of effectively delivering government services to citizens, residents, businesses and visitors. By the end of 2010, the EGA intends to have some 200 basic services offered electronically, a target it is on the way to reaching, having crossed the halfway point at the end of October.

Almost a quarter of the services currently on offer, including electricity bill payment, flight information and school examination results, are already available through mobile phones, with another 10 to be activated by the end of the year.

According to Mohammed Al Qaed, the chief executive officer of the EGA, by next year Bahrain will be an e-government leader in the Arab world.

If this goal were achieved, it would be fulfilling a prediction made even before the country launched its e-government project. Back in 2006, the UNDP issued a report that described Bahrain as possessing the fundamental elements enabling it to create a knowledge-based society, adding that this measure was "not only crucial for economic growth, but for sustainable development across the board".

With the ramping up of the state's e-government initiative, along with the potential offered by the Arab Centre for eContent Development, Bahrain is well placed to develop a knowledge-based society stretching far beyond its borders.

Global Arab Network

This article is published in partnership with Oxford Business Group

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