The Saudi government has allocated a sum of 1 billion dollars to a new project to improve the country's technology services. The project aims at linking different institutions in the country and such a huge investment is expected to change government performance within five years.
This is the expected E-government and naturally, such a service presented would be of no benefit unless there is knowledge of technology in educational institutions, various administrations and within homes. Such a service would be to no avail unless the government first implements its plan to assign one million computers to less privileged and low-income citizens. One successful experience in this regard, has been that of the trading of shares in technology of more than quarter of a million computers, the majority of which were personal computers, resulting in the trading of billions of dollars.
Ever since there was talk about the coupling of bureaucracy and E-governments, many exaggerated ideas have spread. There have been many claims that new technology would save time and money, speed up the decision-making process and enhance almost all services affiliated to the government that affect people's daily lives. Such claims reminded me of what happened in the 80's when fax machines first appeared. It was the technological miracle of its day especially for us journalists, who would waste so much time dictating news over the phone.
In order to convince my boss to introduce fax machines to the office, I wrote about the benefits of such an application. I then told him that despite the high cost of the fax machine, it was the best way to reduce phone conversations and that it would halve our phone bills. However, only three months after we had bought the fax machine, our telephone bills doubled! We did use the fax machine to send our news and reports and this resulted in a significant increase in the level of our reporting.
Our misconceptions appeared one again when the computer was introduced. We claimed then that computers would reduce the time spent writing, printing, preparing news, rectifying errors etc. Nevertheless, what actually happened was that we spent more hours in front of the computer screen, reading and writing, and eventually, printing mistakes increased as we now rely on ourselves to type our own articles. Furthermore, companies have bought equipment that is more expensive therefore, in contrast to the disadvantages; there have been a number of developments that we would never have anticipated.
The services presented by an E-government would not reduce government's expenses nor will speed up transactions because as they increase, the number of complaints will also increase. However, we could not deny that this new service will assist the people significantly. Citizens will be able to contact government bureaus from their homes and interaction, follow-ups, and development will increase. Such factors not only require the existence of an E-government but also a technologically qualified nation. Since the government has paid a huge sum of money, why then would it not double this sum to introduce computers to all homes, thus eliminating computer illiteracy by 2010 for instance? If it aims to offer a useful service, the government must be transparent in its activities and agendas. Bureaucrats must give up their secrecy that should only be used to some extent in security and military issues.
The debate concerning the government and technological services is an exciting one as I had read a report on discussions between different specialists in 'Riyadh' newspaper, 9 May 2006. There are new visions and preliminary experiences that could help us diagnose possible challenges of the future.
GCC ministers of civil service authorities finalize meetings in UAE
Kuwaiti Minister of Planning and Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak on Wednesday called for cooperation between GCC countries in the field of e-governments.
Upon finalizing their meetings, the ministers responsible for civil service authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries formed a technical work team to handle the ministers' recommendations to the GCC secretariat office to issue and implement necessary resolutions.
| GCC ministers of civil service authorities finalize meetings in UAE |
|
POL-UAE-GCC-CIVIL
GCC ministers of civil service authorities finalize meetings in UAE
ABU DHABI, May 10 (KUNA) -- Kuwaiti Minister of Planning and Minister of State for Administrative Development Affairs Dr. Maasouma Al-Mubarak on Wednesday called for cooperation between GCC countries in the field of e-governments.
Upon finalizing their meetings, the ministers responsible for civil service authorities in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries formed a technical work team to handle the ministers' recommendations to the GCC secretariat office to issue and implement necessary resolutions.
Al-Mubarak told Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that GCC countries should coordinate among each other to benefit from the expertise of developed countries and consultative firms.
She added that GCC governments should also benefit from the Malaysian and Singaporean expertise in the field of electronic governments, noting that e-governments are highly important in the gulf to improve performance and facilitate processes for all sides.
The minister praised the role of Kuwait and its implementation of the e-government, noting the positive steps reached by civil services, ministry of health, civil information, and employment.
She also praised the positive atmosphere of the ministerial meeting, led by United Arab Emirates Minister of Public Sector and Development Sultan Al-Mansuri, noting that the meeting discussed a number of topics concerned with improving civil services.
Al-Mubarak added that participants recommended increasing cooperation in the field of civil services by establishing electronic links and a GCC electronic gateway, and agreed on creating a guiding manual for civil services to evaluate the quality of civil services in the gulf countries.
Participants also agreed on creating a plan to improve human resources in the gulf region and benefit from its capabilities in the development process. (end) bmj. fhd |
Safety Net on the way
By GEOFFREY BEW
A CYBER law to protect Bahrain's web users from hackers who create viruses, steal vital information and pose a threat to the economy is on the way.
Central Informatics Organisation (CIO) acting president Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatalla Al Khalifa told the GDN new powers to prosecute those responsible for cyber crimes were in the pipeline.
The news comes only a week after a computer security expert warned that Bahrain's businesses and private Internet users were at risk of losing vital data without strict legislation to protect them.
Ethical hacker Ahmed Aldoseri, chief executive officer of Innovate IT, which provides consultancy services and training to local and international customers, said a lack of legislation was putting the financial industry and other sectors at risk.
His comments were backed up by Bahrain Internet Society board member Waheed Al Balushi, who said there was a loophole in the law in this area across the Arab World.
"We have a cyber law that we have drafted over the last one-and-a-half years, working very closely with the Ministry of Interior," Shaikh Ahmed said.
"It is there and I understand it is going through parliament. º"What we have done is create a cyber law for the Internet, computers and so on.
"We have covered everything in it - viruses and hacking. This is a specific cyber law which is different from other countries where they have created a modified criminal law.
"Parliament already has a draft proposal on the same matter and what we have done is take the draft they made so we can merge it with ours into one law."
The full details of the law will be released later, but Shaikh Ahmed said the CIO and Interior Ministry had studied legislation in the US, UK and Malaysia among other countries before writing the draft proposal.
He believes a specific law on the matter is vital for the success of the economy.
"This is the most important thing because with e-government everything now is done electronically so this is essential to the success of our government," he said.
"Everybody wants it and with Bahrain as a financial and commercial centre this is one of the most important laws that has to be on the ground."
Shaikh Ahmed added it was impossible to put a timescale on when the law may be approved or be introduced.
Saudi Tech Tracker
Arab News |
| |
KAAL Commissions Study on Knowledge Economy The King Abdul Aziz Library (KAAL) has commissioned the Dubai-based Madar Research Group and Riyadh-headquartered Markeight to carry out and publish a major study about the development of a knowledge-based economy in Saudi Arabia. The significance of the study is that it will be the first comprehensive research-based project to profile the Kingdom in terms of its readiness for a knowledge economy, while offering in-depth analysis and growth forecasts, and bringing into light points of strength and critical spots whose interplay will decide the future of the Kingdom’s economy. The study, titled “Saudi Arabia Knowledge Economy 2006,” will be updated and published on an annual basis for the next four years and will receive full support by the King Abdul Aziz Library, including facilitating data gathering to ensure its success. The study, which will be released in September 2006, combines secondary research data with new primary information on the current and future development and usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs) within the Kingdom’s government, business and social communities. The 200-plus-page research study will be a reference and a guidebook for government planners and business strategists, as well as a timely source for emerging opportunities for businesses. “Despite a plethora of literature published on Saudi Arabia, there has not been in-depth research that appreciates the forces that will shape its economy in coming years. While it may be common knowledge that Saudi Arabia is home to the largest oil producing company in the world, it is also home to several of the top 500 global corporations, especially in the areas of banking and heavy industries. The Kingdom also has one of the largest religious tourism markets in the world and is home to the Arab world’s most advanced specialized medical services. As the Kingdom increases its ICT adoption and economic liberalization, such strong points will lead the digital transformation,” said Abdul Kader Kamli, president and research director of Madar Research Group. “Saudi Arabia Knowledge Economy 2006 ” will be published in English and Arabic. It will have a circulation of 100,000 copies distributed regionally and globally. The research book will contain 17 sections covering major and select industries such as oil and gas, banking, heavy industries, health, hospitality, education, FMCG, government and information and communication technology. Sun Powers Population, Housing Census Project In the last decade, national development initiatives in Saudi Arabia were based on disparate surveys and snapshots of society in the Kingdom. However, the Saudi Central Department of Statistics recently established the National Computer Center to process the Third Population and Housing Census Project data. Based on a recommendation from Gartner Group, the data processing team for the census project in the National Computer Center chose a Sun Microsystems web-enabled system to underpin the vast amount of data generated by the census. The census project for the Kingdom included a number of pre-operational levels prior to the two-week information gathering period. The team required automated processing tools as part of the solution, to ease the strain of data processing, as well as harnessing technology to support the residential survey, geographic mapping of towns and villages and keeping track of entries from more than 40,000 collaborators on the project. “We needed to ensure our back-end systems were prepared to deal with the amount of information that we were about to receive, and deal effectively with the many stages of the National Statistics Count,” said Othaim Al-Othaim, head of application and data-entry. “Our main concern was that once the data was collected we were able to sort and collate the data to make it instantly usable for the many government departments that required access to the information for development and planning.” The decision to implement open source systems rather than the traditional mainframe was taken after consultation with the Gartner Group, who were asked for independent recommendations before the project was assigned. Sun Microsystems was recommended for its cost-effective delivery, efficiency, availability and support services. “We adopted the Gartner recommendations and began implementing the Sun servers and solutions with ease and minimal end-user disruption. Within eight months our new data center was in production,” said Abdallah Alyosef, head of technical architecture and operation. The project required one Sun Fire Enterprise 6800 server and two Sun Enterprise 280R servers, as well as 8 Sun T3 arrays and the Solaris Operating Environment Release 10. This reliable, scaleable platform provided secure business continuity for the National Computer Center as well as faster performance. “The Central Department of Statistics now has a state-of-the-art platform to support its future work and an excellent software system for supporting the ongoing census work and any further statistical research they may do in the future,” commented Dr. Gordan Frank , regional director, Gartner Consulting, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East. |
DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY FOUNDATION
DEVELOPMENT GATEWAY FOUNDATION
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE E-GOVERNMENT dgCOMMUNITY
APRIL 2006
***************************************************************
Visit Development Gateway e-Government dgCommunity -
http://www.developmentgateway.org/e-government?intcmp=906 Please forward this newsletter to your interested colleagues
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In this edition of the newsletter:
I. FIVE MOST POPULAR RESOURCES OF THE MONTH:
(1) REPORT: Digital Governance in Municipal Governance 2005
(2) USEFUL TOOL: Interactive Knowledge Economy Benchmarking Tool ? Knowledge Assessment Methodology 2006
(3) PROGRAM: Executive Masters in e-Governance
(4) USEFUL WEBSITE: eOman Launched
(5) REPORT: EIU 2005 e-Readiness Rankings
II. SELECTED NEWS ITEMS OF THE MONTH:
(1) UAE: 12 Awarded Dubai Government Excellence Program
(2) IRELAND: M-government Could Yield EUR20m in Savings
(3) SWITZERLAND: Introducing First Biometric Passports
(4) SOUTH KOREA: Winning UN Award for Government Innovation
(5) BULGARIA: Fight Corruption with e-Government
III. NEW MEMBER DIRECTORY
IV. UPCOMING EVENTS (9 items)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I. FIVE MOST POPULAR RESOURCES OF THE MONTH:
(1) REPORT: Digital Governance in Municipal Governance 2005
"Digital Governance in Municipal Governance 2005: A Longitudinal Assessment of Municipal Websites Throughout the World" has been released by UN Division for Public Administration and Development Management (DPADM) and replicates a survey completed in 2003. The present survey evaluates the practice of digital governance in large municipalities worldwide in 2005. Digital governance includes both digital government (delivery of public service) and digital democracy (citizen participation in governance). Analysis includes security, usability, and content of websites, the type of online services currently being offered, and citizen response and participation through websites established by city governments. This report is a collaboration between the E-Governance Institute at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Campus at Newark and the Global e-Policy e-Government Institute at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea.
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/rc/ItemDetail.do~1060580?intcmp=906 This article contributed by Charlotte Moser:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/um/showGeneralMemberProfile.do?userId=120669&intcmp=906 (2) USEFUL TOOL: Interactive Knowledge Economy Benchmarking Tool ? Knowledge Assessment Methodology 2006
March 2006 update. The KAM uses more then 80 structural and qualitative variables for a group of 128 countries to generate a range of comparative data tables, charts and diagrams for a simple visual representation of different aspects of countries? Knowledge Economy readiness. Various modes can display and compare countries? overall Knowledge (KI) and Knowledge Economy (KEI) indexes and demonstrate performance scores on the four main Knowledge Economy pillars: Economic Incentive and Institutional Regime, Education, Innovation, and Information & Communications Technology (ICT).
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/rc/ItemDetail.do~1060389?intcmp=906 This article contributed by Alexey Volynets:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/um/showGeneralMemberProfile.do?userId=245891&intcmp=906 (3) PROGRAM: Executive Masters in e-Governance
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are changing the economy, society, and culture in increasingly pervasive and complex ways. Developing efficient, reflective, sustainable governance mechanisms and corresponding tools to master and steer their underlying dynamics ? in both public and private organizations ? has become a necessity. To respond to this need, the Chair MIR at the College of Management of Technology of EPFL has designed a one-year Executive Master program in e-Governance, with its 2nd edition starting on September 4th, 2006. Join the Executive Master in e-Governance 2006/07 and you will learn how to make use of ICTs for effective action and to steer your business, your organization or your agency. Join a group of highly motivated executives to clear your mind for decision-making globalized and fast-changing networked world. With our Executive Master in e-Governance, you will go through a challenging "learning journey" in which you can sharpen your leadership competences. The program is international and conducted in collaboration with highly renowned partners worldwide, with residential classroom modules in Switzerland, Europe, North America and Asia.
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/rc/ItemDetail.do~1060193?intcmp=906 This article contributed by Nadia Afrin:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/um/showGeneralMemberProfile.do?userId=747311&intcmp=906 (4) USEFUL WEBSITE: eOman Launched
The Sultanate of Oman's digital society initiative - eOman - was launched during a ceremony attended by members of the royal family, ministers, undersecretaries, diplomats, IT professionals, leading public and private sector officials and dignitaries. "eOman will offer every citizen, business and government entity a wide variety of convenient, cost-effective and customer-oriented electronic services that will empower and transform life for the better," said Mohammed Nasser Al Khusaibi, secretary-general of Ministry of National Economy, on the occasion.
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/rc/ItemDetail.do~1061103?intcmp=906 This article contributed by Hmayak Arazyan:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/um/showGeneralMemberProfile.do?userId=84212&intcmp=906 (5) REPORT: EIU 2005 e-Readiness Rankings
This annual e-readiness ranking measures the e-business environment of 65 countries around the world, gauging the extent to which each market is prepared to take advantage of internet-based opportunities in the public and private sectors. The report, which was prepared by IBM and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), found that Europe continues to dominate the rankings, taking six of the top 10 spots. Denmark is the most "e-ready" country in the world, followed by the US, Switzerland, Sweden, UK, Netherlands, Finland, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong.
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/rc/ItemDetail.do~1061870?intcmp=906 This article contributed by Hmayak Arazyan:
http://www.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/um/showGeneralMemberProfile.do?userId=84212&intcmp=906 I. SELECTED NEWS ITEMS OF THE MONTH:
(1) UAE: 12 Awarded Dubai Government Excellence Program -
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~23335~~?&intcmp=906 (2) IRELAND: M-government Could Yield EUR20m in Savings -
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~23129~~?&intcmp=906 (3) SWITZERLAND: Introducing First Biometric Passports ?
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~23436~~?&intcmp=906 (4) SOUTH KOREA: Winning UN Award for Government Innovation -
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~23435~~?&intcmp=906 (5) BULGARIA: Fight Corruption with e-Government -
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/egovernment/news/showNewsItemDetails.do~23434~~?&intcmp=906FOR MORE NEWS ITEMS, PLEASE VISIT:
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/e-government/news/viewAllNews.do~all=all?intcmp=906 III. NEW MEMBER DIRECTORY
With over 30,000 registered dgCommunities members, the Member Directory provides a one-stop shop for key contacts and collaboration worldwide. We invite you to take advantage of this unprecedented collaborative tool and add your profile today!
Our new Member Directory enables you to more easily contact fellow professionals in the international development community for expert advice, information, and collaboration. You will be able to find development practitioners from over 200 countries, with interests and expertise in dozens of areas, including your own! We?re sure you'll find the profiles very useful when using the Member Directory to communicate and collaborate with fellow members on your next program or project.
Member Directory Quick Start - 4 Easy Steps:
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Let your colleagues in development know more about your interests and expertise through your dgCommunities profile. Simply log in, go to My Gateway, scroll down to "My Member Profile", and click "Edit this information".
http://www.developmentgateway.org/topics/um/user/showUserAccount.do?intcmp=906-SEARCH FOR MEMBERS
Log in to the Development Gateway, and click the Member Directory link located in the right column on any dgCommunity home page. You can search by: name, country, interest, expertise, organization, organization type, or by keywords in member bios. Search results will show you a list of members with a link to their profiles. You can also reach the Member Directory when you log in, go to My Gateway and click on "Add Members to My Contacts".
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/um~user/showMemberDirectory.do?intcmp=906-COMMUNICATE WITH MEMBERS
When viewing a member's profile, click "Contact this user". This will open a message box in which you can type and send an email through our email forwarding system.
-CREATE OWN CONTACT LIST OF MEMBERS
You can build a list of key contacts and form your own network of members. Searching for members will produce a results list; you can then select members to be added to your "My Contacts" list by clicking on the plus sign under "Status" for each desired contact. Or, when viewing a particular member's profile, click "Add this member to My Contacts". Your full "My Contacts" list can be viewed when you log in, go to My Gateway, scroll down to "My Contacts" and click "View My Contacts."
IV. FOR UPCOMING EVENTS, PLEASE VISIT (currently there are 9 items) -
http://topics.developmentgateway.org/e-government/calendar/default/viewListEvents.do?intcmp=906 Truly,
Hmayak Arazyan
Guide, e-Government dgCommunity
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E-governance readiness in Gulf progressing: UN report; ICDL calls on govts to assess needs of IT literacy
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|
| KUWAIT CITY: E-governance readiness in the Gulf region has been ranked at approximately 50 percent by a recent index compiled in a report by the United Nations Department of Economic & Social Affairs (UNDESA), compared to 91 percent for index leading United States. ICDL GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme in the Gulf region called for further dissemination of IT literacy that would allow greater sectors of society access to online e-government services.
“In order to accelerate the process of e-government readiness, countries in the region need to formulate detailed plans aimed at executing their ICT policies and strategies, and undertake new initiatives that will raise the IT literacy levels of all sectors of society, create awareness among the general public on the importance of IT, and facilitate or subsidize the purchase of a home computer and Internet connection for those who find the cost prohibitive. By laying a comprehensive infrastructure of IT literacy throughout the region, with particular emphasis on the services provided by the critical sectors such as health, education and employment, governments can lay a strong foundation for greater penetration of e-government services,” said Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation.
The recently released UNDESA report “Global e-Government Readiness Report 2005: From e-Government to e-Inclusion” placed the UAE at number 42nd in the world in terms of e-government readiness, but number one in the GCC region. The report also indicated that the UAE had moved up 18 places from 2004, where it was ranked 60th in the world. Similarly, most other Arab countries in the region also showed positive movement in the e-government readiness rankings, with Kuwait moving up to 75 from number 100 in 2004, and Qatar moving to 62 from 80th place. Saudi Arabia also moved up from 90th global position in 2004 to 80th in 2005.
The report attributed the UAE’s success to a revamped national portal that integrates easily locatable information and services through a single gateway. The report also praised Qatar’s improvement of online service delivery, and concluded that its e-government portal was regional best practice and comparable to integrated services portals elsewhere in the world. Initiatives in Saudi Arabia were considered positive, if not on par with some of the region’s high performers. However, the report compiled evidence of irregular e-government readiness in the region, with some countries doing well, but others lagging behind in the 100-160 world ranking segment.
For instance, Bahrain lost ground on its 46th world ranking in 2004 and ended on 53rd worldwide in 2005. Alleviating patchy IT development will be a critical challenge for regional e-governance initiatives. “E-governance readiness is determined not just by government initiatives aimed at making comprehensive government services available online to citizens, but also the level of acceptance and participation of the society in e-services. Assessing the current and future IT literacy needs of the society and establishing mechanisms aimed at monitoring progress of IT literacy is key to e-government readiness and essential to the acceptance of the e-government services by the general population,” Ezzo added. |
Dubai: The Dubai Municipality won the United Nations 2006 public services award in the area of application of information technology and telecommunications in the government sector, e-government.
By winning the award, Dubai becomes the first Arab city to win the prestigious award.
The award covers three major areas, including transparency, accountability and the public service's response to the basic needs of the people. The award recognises the recipient's role in improving public services.
Police department gets ISO certificate
Dubai: The Electronic Services Department of Dubai Police received the ISO 2000:9001 certificate and became the first department specialised in information technology to get ISO in the Middle East.
Colonel Ahmad Hamdan Bin Dalmook, Director of the electronic services department of Dubai Police, accepted the certificate from Bruno Fererra, Bero Vertas Quality International Company. The department also received Dubai Award.
Conference on continuing studies
Sharjah: The Higher Colleges of Technology Sharjah will hold the fourth annual counselling conference tomorrow under the patronage of Shaikh Nah-yan Bin Mubarak Al Nah-yan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The event is being hosted by the Unesco Chair Programme at the Centre for Applied Studies in Education at the college.
The theme of the event is 'Moving Forward Creating Tomorrow', focusing on continuous education for existing counsellors and career opportunities for graduates.
Forum on child rights tomorrow
Dubai: The city will host the second 'Arab Media and Child Rights Forum' from tomorrow. The event on the theme 'Status of Girls' Education in the Arab World' will continue until May 4.
Representing select Arab organisations active in the field of human development, media and human rights, the organisers of this year's forum include the Regional Office of Unicef, Middle East and North Africa, the Arab Institute for Human Rights and Dubai Press Club.
A high level Lebanese delegation led by H.E. Jean Oghassabian, Minister of State for Administrative Development, visited Dubai eGovernment recently to gain information from the various experiences that have led to Dubai’s leadership position in the field of eGovernance, technological transformation and e-knowledge development. The visit was part of the delegation’s objective to move Lebanon towards an eSociety in the shortest possible Time.
Salem Al Shair, eServices Director, Dubai eGovernment, welcomed the Lebanese delegation and shed light on the challenges encountered since their journey that started in the year 2000, and the hurdles they faced to overcome bottlenecks towards effective implementation of eGovernance. This initiative from Dubai eGovernment is part of its ongoing program to familiarize the visiting countries on the finer points of e-Governance.
During the visit, Salem Al Shair, Director eServices, Dubai eGovernment said, “We are pleased to follow the directives of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and help our Arab brothers implement the eGovernment system with total transparency. We believe that, by sharing our expertise and cooperating closely with our Arab brothers, we will be able to help them accelerate the transition to e-governance. We encourage them to build on our experience
ean Oghassabian said, “We are very happy with the interest and enthusiasm shown by Dubai eGovernment in sharing with us their knowledge and experiences in the field of eGovernance. Every time we visit Dubai, which is our second home, we are amazed by the fast pace of development across all sectors and are inspired by the results they have accomplished on the road towards eGovernment. I hope this will open the door for co-ordination between the two countries in all sectors and help Lebanon progress towards a digital society.”
Rehab Lootah, eServices Provisioning Manager, Dubai eGovernment, made a presentation on the strategies, plans, projects and future aims of Dubai eGovernment, as well as the steps to be taken in this domain to attain a full eGovernment status.
The delegation was involved in various discussions with the Dubai eGovernment team that aimed to facilitate an exchange of experiences and information which would in turn ensure the rapid development of an eGovernment in Lebanon.
Bahrain's IT ranking falls
BAHRAIN's global position in e-government readiness slipped seven places last year in an index compiled by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). Bahrain lost ground on its 46th world ranking in 2004 and ended 53rd worldwide last year, according to the UNDESA's Global e-Government Readiness Report 2005: From e-Government to e-Inclusion.
It placed the UAE at number 42 in the world in terms of e-government readiness and number one in the GCC, followed by Bahrain in second place.
The report also indicated that the UAE had moved up 18 places from 2004, where it was ranked 60th in the world.
Similarly, most other Arab countries in the region also showed positive movement in the e-government readiness rankings, with Kuwait moving up to 75 from number 100 in 2004, and Qatar moving to 62 from 80th place.
Saudi Arabia also moved up from 90th position in 2004 to 80th last year.
The report attributed the UAE's success to a revamped national portal that integrates easily locatable information and services through a single gateway. The report also praised Qatar's improvement of online service delivery, and concluded that its e-government portal was regional best practice and comparable to integrated services portals elsewhere in the world.
Initiatives in Saudi Arabia were also considered positive, if not on par with some of the region's high performers.
E-governance readiness in the Gulf region has been ranked at around 50 per cent compared to 91pc for the US, who topped the index.
Dubai-based International Computer Driving License (ICDL) GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the ICDL programme in the Gulf region, called for further dissemination of information technology (IT) literacy that would allow greater sectors of society access to online e-government services.
"In order to accelerate the process, countries in the region need to formulate detailed plans aimed at executing their ICT policies and strategies," said ICDL GCC Foundation director general Jamil Ezzo"E-governance readiness is determined not just by government initiatives aimed at making comprehensive government services available online to citizens, but also the level of acceptance and participation of the society in e-services," said Mr Ezzo.
"Assessing the current and future IT literacy needs of the society and establishing mechanisms aimed at monitoring progress of IT literacy is key to e-government readiness and essential to the acceptance of the e-government services by the general population."
Mr. Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL GCC Foundation.
ICDL
GCC Foundation, the governing body and certification authority of the International Computer Driving License (ICDL) programme in the Gulf region called for further dissemination of IT literacy that would allow greater sectors of society access to online e-government services.
'In order to accelerate the process of e-government readiness, countries in the region need to formulate detailed plans aimed at executing their ICT policies and strategies, and undertake new initiatives that will raise the IT literacy levels of all sectors of society, create awareness among the general public on the importance of IT, and facilitate or subsidize the purchase of a home computer and Internet connection for those who find the cost prohibitive. By laying a comprehensive infrastructure of IT literacy throughout the region, with particular emphasis on the services provided by the critical sectors such as health, education and employment, governments can lay a strong foundation for greater penetration of e-government services,'
said Jamil Ezzo, Director General, ICDL
GCC Foundation.
The recently released UNDESA report 'Global e-Government Readiness Report 2005: From e-Government to e-Inclusion' placed the
UAE at number 42nd in the world in terms of e-government readiness, but number one in the
GCC region. The report also indicated that the
UAE had moved up 18 places from 2004, where it was ranked 60th in the world. Similarly, most other Arab countries in the region also showed positive movement in the e-government readiness rankings, with Kuwait moving up to 75 from number 100 in 2004, and Qatar moving to 62 from 80th place. Saudi Arabia also moved up from 90th global position in 2004 to 80th in 2005.
The report attributed the UAE's success to a revamped national portal that integrates easily locatable information and services through a single gateway. The report also praised Qatar's improvement of online service delivery, and concluded that its e-government portal was regional best practice and comparable to integrated services portals elsewhere in the world. Initiatives in Saudi Arabia were considered positive, if not on par with some of the region's high performers.
However, the report compiled evidence of irregular e-government readiness in the region, with some countries doing well, but others lagging behind in the 100-160 world ranking segment. For instance, Bahrain lost ground on its 46th world ranking in 2004 and ended on 53rd worldwide in 2005. Alleviating patchy IT development will be a critical challenge for regional e-governance initiatives.
'E-governance readiness is determined not just by government initiatives aimed at making comprehensive government services available online to citizens, but also the level of acceptance and participation of the society in e-services. Assessing the current and future IT literacy needs of the society and establishing mechanisms aimed at monitoring progress of IT literacy is key to e-government readiness and essential to the acceptance of the e-government services by the general population,' Ezzo added.
