The second Bahrain International eGovernment Forum, to be held from May 25 to 27 at the Bahrain International Exhibition centre, will see several eminent speakers discuss key issues linked to eGovernment.

The forum is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammad bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT).

The forum will assemble key GCC and international experts to discuss and debate the key issues and future directions in eGovernment, said the organisers.

It will feature three keynote addresses from prominent International industry leaders including Haiyan Qian, director of UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA).

Qian has extensive experience in knowledge and networking management; and the management of technology for sustainable development.

Also participating as a keynote speaker will be Christian Rupp, Federal Executive secretary of eGovernment Austria. Rupp is also member of the advisory board for information society in the Federal Chancellery, which coordinates the i2010 activities in Austria.

Rupp has served as a member of the jury for various national and international awards, such as the United Nations World Summit on Information Society Award in eContent and Creativity.

The third keynote speaker will be Richard Kerby, who is a senior Inter-Regional adviser at UNDESA.

With unparalleled expertise in providing policy advices and carrying out technical co-operation missions to Governments on issues connected with eGovernment development, Kerby will be sharing his wealth of knowledge with the delegates.

Abdulmajeed Al Gassab, chairman of the organizing committee, said the aim of the forum is to provide a platform to address major challenges and focus on the best international eGovernance practices, alongside technical solutions which can be implemented to achieve excellence in this area.

"We are extremely pleased to have such renowned industry leaders attend our forum and share their collective international expertise and experience with our region," he noted.

In addition, several international speakers will be present at the forum, including heads of various GCC eGovernment authorities, UN experts, regional and international eGovernment and ICT industry professionals, as well as representatives from various government bodies, technical societies, GCC chambers of commerce, academic experts.

Measured by the success of last year’s event, the event is expected to see a more robust participation with more than 450 delegates from around the region and globe.

The three-day forum will encompass several supporting activities, including EGEX 2009, an exhibition which will feature the eGovernment Authority, Bahraini governmental entities, regional and international eGovernment authorities, and ICT companies, as well as workshops, panel discussions, and a number of other activities.-TradeArabia News Service