Bahrain's The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) has won the Champion Award within the United Nations’ World Summit awards on the Information Society (WSIS), in recognition of its work on the revamp of the National Portal (bahrain.bh).

 

The iGA work was selected from among more than 1,000 submissions globally under the eGovernment category as part of "ICT Applications: Benefits in All Aspects of Life categories" for its standout features.

 

These include user profile 'Personalization', a favorite eServices list, 'Government Notifications' for various government entities, a transaction history spanning six months, and a smart assistant 'Chatbot'. 

 

The portal supports multiple payment methods, including BenefitPay and Apple Pay, and provides secure options through a "Saved Cards" feature, enabling users to easily store bank or credit cards.

 

On behalf of iGA, the Champion award was received at special ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland, by a representative from the Kingdom of Bahrain's Mission to the United Nations in Geneva.

 

Lauding the key features, iGA Chief Executive Mohammed Ali Al Qaed said this was done as per the directives of General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT) in bid to enhance the National Portal and digital channels, and also improve access to government services, and enhance user experience.

 

Following several development stages, the portal offers information on 1,300+ government services, 680+ eServices, seamless electronic integration with more than 40 public and private entities, with monthly visits that surpassed 1.5 million visits.

 

Al Qaed, presenting the National Portal's standout features, underscored the iGA's mission to continuously develop eServices since the portal's launch in 2007, in line with technological advancements and the needs of citizen and resident. 

 

He commended the portal users from the citizens and residents for their significant contributions towards this achievement, emphasizing their cooperation with the iGA and their feedback and suggestions through various interactive channels. 

 

The WSIS is an annual event held in the Swiss city by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to spotlight digital projects that contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

 

It is co-organised by ITU, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).