Bahrain's IT ranking falls
Bahrain's IT ranking fallsBAHRAIN'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."
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