The Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) announced the renewal of its Enterprise Agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS). The iGA has also signed a contract with AWS’ partner, Computer World, for the provision of services for the government sector in the Kingdom.

The announcement was made during a ceremony attended by senior officials and representatives from the public and private sectors.

During his speech, iGA Chief Executive, Mohamed Ali Al-Qaed affirmed that the renewal stresses the Government’s commitment to digitization efforts and the adoption of cloud computing technology across government.

He highlighted that AWS’s selection of the Kingdom as its first regional center for providing cloud computing services has streamlined the migration of government systems and procedures to the cloud and led to faster adoption of the Cloud-First Policy, making the Kingdom the first Arab country and one of the first globally to adopt such an initiative.

Al Qaed added that this partnership has led to enhanced ICT readiness in the Kingdom, with the migration of over 85% of the processes and systems of 72 government entities to the cloud. He added, that the partnership also helped with the formation of four new government organizations established entirely on the cloud, 60 to 80% reductions in infrastructural expenditures, and more time efficiency with 60% lower durations for infrastructural readiness projects. In addition, over 900 Bahrainis have been trained to use cloud technology as part of upskilling national resources.

Al Qaed noted that the Kingdom’s progress in this area made it a regional center of excellence for the development of cloud technology, adding that the iGA is now working on preparing national data centers to host government systems that cannot be migrated to external cloud environments, positioning the Kingdom as a leading country in the implementation of the hybrid cloud concept, with the completion of data center qualifications expected by 2024.

Al Qaed added that several systems serving vital sectors in Bahrain have been developed recently which leverage cloud computing technologies. These cover municipalities, urban planning, health, finance, education, and others. This has led to cost reductions, improved development times, increased security, and faster delivery speeds.

He said that Bahrain, with its excellent progress in digital transformation and cloud adoption, now provides support and exchanges experience with other countries in capacity building and system development. This is facilitated by a legislative environment that enacts laws and adopts policies that meet the needs of strategic projects supporting economic recovery. The Kingdom is also working on enhancing the capabilities of its national workforce, providing them with the skills required to implement digital transformation projects and keep pace with change, noting the Technical Development Program initiated by iGA in partnership with the Ministry of Labor which is a comprehensive initiative covering operations, applications, system development, as well as data analysis.

For his part, the AWS Managing Director for the Middle East and Africa, Wojciech Bajda also delivered a speech during the occasion expressing AWS’s commitment to supporting and providing the necessary expertise to the Bahraini Government’s cloud and digital transformation journey. He highlighted AWS’s investment in the development and refinement of national skills through educational initiatives, resource provision, and training opportunities to equip individuals with the required digital skills, enable them and reinforce innovation. He noted that AWS is working with the Government of Bahrain on the development of information and communication technology talent, enhancing their readiness for the future careers.

Source: Information & eGovernment Authority