In light of the success of Bahrain eContent Awards '09...

Manama, Bahrain - March 11th, 2009: Following the resounding success of the Bahrain eContent Awards (BEA) '09, Mr. Nawaf Abdulrahman - President of the BEA Judging Committee and VP of Bahrain Internet Society and IT Director in the General Organization of Youth and Sport - was selected by the World Summit Awards (WSA) as one of 36 global experts who will be judging the qualifying local competition in New Delhi, India, held from 2nd to 8th of April, 2009.

Over the course of the competition's various stages, the BEA 09's judging committee worked diligently to ensure that it managed the judging process with transparency and according to the highest global standards. Its efforts reflected the level of sophistication eContent has achieved locally over the past few years, and at the same time embodied the advanced aptitude of local talents in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector which allowed Bahrain to gain membership of a prestigious international organization on the level of the WSA.

Mr. Abdulrahman, who boasts 12 years of experience in the IT field,  said he was honored to represent Bahrain in leading international eContent forums, citing the advanced position the Kingdom holds in that field as the basis for this recognition. This leading position was clearly confirmed by the high standard of this year's 440 BEA entries, of which 30 were chosen by the judging committee after a meticulous evaluation process, he added.

"Basically, what distinguishes the truly outstanding eContent projects over others," explained Mr. Abdulrahman, "is the ability of its designers to best utilize various information and communication technologies to deliver the information or service to whoever needs it in the best vessel in the most cost and time effective way possible.

The WSA, launched in 2003 as a precursor to the United Nations' World Summit Conference on the Information Society (WSIS), is a pioneering global initiative which aims to narrow the existing digital divide between nearly 160 UN member nations.

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About eGovernment Authority Bahrain
The eGovernment Authority (eGA) was established by Royal Decree 69 in August 2007. Reporting to the Cabinet, the eGA aims to coordinate and execute e-government initiatives in line with the strategies, plans, and programs set by the Supreme Council for Information Communication Technology (SCICT), headed by HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The eGA's role entails everything from proposing overall policies and appropriate legislations to the SCICT for approval to overseeing the execution of the approved SCICT programs. This includes suggesting required IT programs, facilitating communications and services between all government entities, opening new e-channels for e-government services, and offering technical and knowledge-based support to the ministries and other government entities.

Currently, the eGA is working on executing the plans contained within Bahrain's e-government strategy to achieve the ambitious Bahraini e-initiatives, as well as offering 200 basic governmental services electronically via various communication channels within 3 years to all citizens, residents, and businesses of Bahrain.

For further information please contact:
Adel A. Maymoon
eGovernment Authority
Kingdom of Bahrain
Tel +973 17 388322
Fax: +973 17 388338
Email: amaymoon@ega.gov.bh

Kamalakshi Misra
Hill and Knowlton
Tel +973 17533532
Fax: +973 17533370
Email: kamalakshi.misra@hillandknowlton.com.

© Press Release 2009