Chaired by the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) Chief Executive Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, the Information and Communication Technology Governance Committee’s (ICTGC) 70th meeting convened virtually to review projects and purchase orders submitted by government entities.
The committee discussed a project to upgrade Bahrain Spatial Data Infrastructure (BSDI) Portal and the Geographic Information Systems (GIS)at the iGA, which includes over 300 layers of infrastructure maps, serving 30+government entities through a geographic browser. The project provides the latest regularly updated geographic data in a unified database, including maps of essential services and infrastructure information such as addresses, buildings, water networks, electricity networks, telecommunications networks, petroleum and gas installations, and other relevant data.. The system upgrade will contribute to the adoption of advanced technologies such as Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) and Building Information Modeling (BIM) in Bahrain. Integrating GeoAI will enhance data quality, improve processes, and expedite decision-making through geographic data predictive analysis. The utilization of BIM technology will facilitate advanced three-dimensional infrastructure plans.
The Committee also discussed the redesign of Bahrain’s National Portal, bahrain.bh, as well as the unified government app for smart devices. With the aim to transform the interface design to enhance browsing and user experiences, the project's objectives focus on aligning with United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) standards as well as global web development standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Additionally, this project will prioritize responsive design elements, ensuring compatibility across browsers, devices, screen sizes and resolutions.
The committee also addressed a set of projects and purchase orders pertaining to the maintenance and continuous support of government systems and educational tools at the Ministry of Education and the University of Bahrain, and reviewed progress in implementing the decisions approved during its previous meetings.
The meeting was chaired by iGA Chief Executive, Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, with Committee Vice Chairman and iGA Deputy Chief Executive of Electronic Transformation, Dr. Zakareya Ahmed Al Khaja, Ministry of Education Undersecretary for Policies, Strategies, and Performance, Nawal Ibrahim AlKhater, iGA Deputy Chief Executive of Operations and Governance, Dr. Khalid Ahmed Almutawa, Ministry of Health Assistant Undersecretary of Public Health, Dr. Samia Ali Bahram, Ministry of Finance and National Economy Director of Financial Systems Development, Abdullah Ahmed Dhaif, Economic Development Board(EDB) Director of Corporate Services, Linda Mohammed Janahi, Prime Minister’s Office Director of Services and Information Systems, Ahmed Abdulnabi Al Qayyim, University of Bahrain Dean of the College of IT, Dr. Hessa Jassim Al Junaid, ICT Advisor, Dr. Ali Mohammed Al Soufi, and the Committee's support team in attendance.