The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, stated that the Ministerial E-Government Committee in the GCC countries has been working to achieve a complete digital transformation in the government sector. They have adopted the best global practices and innovative ideas in this field, which has resulted in GCC countries attaining advanced global rankings in the digital government sector. Albudaiwi made these remarks during his speech at the eighth meeting of the Ministerial Committee for E-Government, held today in Doha, Qatar. The meeting was chaired by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the State of Qatar, Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, and attended by ministers, governors, and officials responsible for e-government programs in the GCC countries. In his speech, Albudaiwi congratulated the GCC countries for their advanced positions in the United Nations E-Government Development Index for 2024. GCC countries ranked among the top globally, recei ving the highest level of assessment in the index. He praised the achievements of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which ranked sixth and eleventh globally, respectively, out of 193 countries. He also commended the Kingdom of Bahrain for ranking 10th globally in the Telecommunications Infrastructure Readiness Index, and the Sultanate of Oman for ranking 22nd in the same index. Furthermore, he noted that the State of Qatar ranked fifth globally in terms of growth rate in the index and that the State of Kuwait received praise for its strong performance, ranking among the top twenty countries in Asia in the Telecommunications Infrastructure Readiness Index. Albudaiwi highlighted that this progress is a source of pride for the GCC, made possible by the directives and visions of the region's leaders. Albudaiwi emphasized that the development of e-government applications has been a priority for the GCC countries due to their significant benefits. These applications are expected to strength en GCC economies by creating a robust digital government that enhances productivity, efficiency, and service delivery to citizens and both the public and private sectors. The ultimate goal is to propel the Gulf region toward higher levels of development and progress. He mentioned that the ministers welcomed the outcomes of the roundtable sessions jointly organized by the GCC and the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO), as outlined in the report "The Digital Landscape of the GCC." The committee tasked the General Secretariat with arranging a discussion session involving relevant authorities from GCC countries and the DCO to review the report's findings. The General Secretariat was also instructed to facilitate the participation of the Secretary General of the DCO in the next committee meeting to further explore areas of mutual interest and ways to utilize the report's findings. Albudaiwi expressed his gratitude to the Ministerial Committee for adopting the GCC Digital Government Award annually. This award highlights the importance of digital transformation in government agencies, showcasing their best practices in line with the principles and objectives of the GCC. The aim is to promote and develop a digital economy and a knowledge-based society. He also extended his best wishes to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting the 19th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in December, which will focus on discussing internet governance policies and sharing international best practices in the field. Source: Saudi Press Agency