Bahrain has topped the Arab world for e-government in a United Nations report, while also ranking 13th out of 192 countries worldwide.

It also outranked Japan to come third in Asia in the UN’s e-Government Readiness 2010 report.

The report focuses on the readiness of countries to introduce information communication technology (ICT) in government and the level of access to the public.

Details of the achievement were revealed during a press conference by Bahrain’s e-Government Authority at the Gulf Hotel yesterday (January 11).

“This achievement motivates us to undertake a greater level of responsibility to continue to progress and improve its rank,” said Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Shaikh Ahmed bin Ateyatala Al Khalifa, who put the ranking down to the rapid spread of technology across the GCC.

Meanwhile, e-Government Authority chief executive officer Mohammed Ali Al Qaed described information technology as an essential tool in social and economic development.

Deputy Premier Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, who is also ICT and Telecommunications Committee chairman, hailed the achievement yesterday as he received Shaikh Ahmed and an expert team representing the e-Government
Authority. – TradeArabia News Service