Committees contributing to the development of ICT and digital transformation in the Kingdom of Bahrain

Executive Committee chaired by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister

The Coordination Committee meetings, chaired by HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, cover high priority government-related items and issues, as well as those affecting citizens. As per the directives of HM the King, they place citizens’ interests at the top of all national priorities.

The Supreme Council for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT) chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister

The Supreme Council for Information and Communication Technology (SCICT) was formed in 2005 by the Prime Minister’s Decision No. (25) (PDF, 81.5KB, 3 pages, Arabic only), reformed in 2011 following the Prime Minister’s Decision No. (59) (PDF, 106KB, 1 page, Arabic only), and again in 2015 through Decision No. (4) (PDF, 110KB, 4 pages, Arabic only).

Membership term

Council membership is three years, renewable for the same period.

Objectives

• Implementation of eGovernment directives
• Formulation of nationwide strategies and plans for IT development
• Coordination between all public and private entities in the IT field to avoid duplication of work and conflict between them
• Keeping pace with global IT developments at the government level
• Facing and quickly resolving obstacles facing the development of IT in the government
• Securing the support of all public and private organisations in the implementation of plans and strategies
• Unifying efforts to achieve eGovernment strategies and plans and across ministries and government entities

Scope

• Setting strategies, plans, and programmes for eGovernment applications
• Recommending necessary legislation to accelerate the journey towards achieving a digital community
• Supporting government and private sector entities in securing the necessary resources to implement desired plans and strategies
• Representing the Kingdom at regional and global events and presenting studies and progress reports
• Studying the experiences of advanced countries in the ICT field and preparing reports and studies based on the collected data, as well as suggesting the best methods of enhancing the Kingdom’s experience

The Supreme Council for the Development of Education and Training

As per Prime Minister Decision No. (3) of 2015 (PDF, 90.3KB, 3 pages, Arabic only), the Supreme Council for the Development of Education and Training was formed and chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa to oversee the continuous development of education and training in the Kingdom.

Membership term

Council membership is four years, renewable for the same period.

Scope

The Council enhances communication between educational entities and monitors them. Its decisions ensure that graduates from the education system meet the requirements of the labour market, thereby helping to achieve the government’s priorities and the goals of Bahrain Vision 2030.

To further develop education and training, the Council carries out the following tasks:

• Managing educational and training projects, both public and private, and formulating a national education strategy by strengthening ties and communication among entities in the field
• Coordinating educational and training programmes and curriculums and ensuring that they are in line with the requirements of the labour market and modern practical and technological developments, and then offering them at the Kingdom’s various schools
• Setting policies and strategies, and outlining national education standards, to ensure that they match international expectations, with the aim of empowering youth so that they can achieve their dreams and aspirations and be active participants in society and the labour market
• Any other tasks the Council is assigned by the Cabinet

As the entity responsible for managing educational and training projects, and the central decision-making body for enhancing educational standards across all organisations in the sector, the council plays a fundamental role. It seeks to improve the quality of education through policies and systems that ensure teaching at all school levels meet global standards. This is accomplished by creating appropriate higher education courses and developing the educational infrastructure so that the industry is able to compete on the regional and international levels.

The Information and Communication Technology Governance Committee (ICTGC)

The Information and Communication Technology Governance Committee (ICTGC) was formed in 2011 by Decision No. (1) (PDF, 124KB, 3 pages, Arabic only), issued by Deputy Prime Minister and ICTGC Chairman, HH Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa. Some of its provisions were amended in Decision No. (1) of 2016 (PDF, 98KB, 2 pages, Arabic only).

Membership term

Membership in the Committee is three years, renewable for the same period.

Scope

• Setting ideal standards of use and employment for ICT projects at government entities
• Setting and monitoring the workplans of ICT projects and programs at government entities, and implementing urgent ones
• Reviewing the strategies and financial costs of ICT projects at government entities, and preparing related reports for submission to the Supreme Council
• Approving projects and procurement requests submitted by government entities, as part of the Information Systems team, to lower operational expenditures as per a Decision by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance
• Setting ICT project policies and standards at government entities to help them achieve their objectives, while ensuring that their implementation is in accordance with approved policies and standards; this is in addition to formulating nationwide strategies and plans to regulate and further develop those projects in line with the Supreme Council’s decisions

The National Committee for Geospatial Information Governance (NCGIG)

The National Committee for Geospatial Information Governance (NCGIG) was formed by the Prime Minister’s Decision No. (15) of 2017 (PDF, 100KB, 5 pages, Arabic only). It is part of the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.

Membership term

Committee membership is three years, renewable.

Scope

• Proposing national policies and strategies to develop the geospatial information field and submitting them to the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects
• Setting geospatial information specifications and standards
• Specifying each entity’s responsibility and ownership of basic data, and coordinating its collection with the aim of maintaining quality and accuracy, ensuring it is up-to-date, and avoiding duplication
• Setting policies and procedures for the sharing and cost of geospatial information
• Ensuring system and data security
• Ensuring that mutual access is possible and open standards to achieve best international practices
• Facilitating and enhancing capability building and the exchange of knowledge
• Consulting all parties in matters related to geospatial information
• Deploying geospatial information in decision-making and increasing the effectiveness of the Kingdom’s ministries, government entities, and public organizations
• Promoting coordination between projects and the use of systems and programs in sourcing geospatial information, which prevents duplication of work, and reduces costs by unifying procurement and contracting.

The Spectrum Strategy and Coordination Committee

The Spectrum Strategy and Coordination Committee was formed by the Prime Minister’s Decision No. (50) of 2015 (PDF, 98.7KB, 3 pages, Arabic only), with some of its provisions amended by Decision No. (7) of 2021 (PDF, 109KB, 2 pages, Arabic only). It is part of the Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister.

Membership term

Membership in the committee is three years, renewable for the same period.

Scope

• Implementing the provisions of the Telecommunications Law, issued by Decree No. (48) of 2002 (PDF, 431KB, 71 pages)
• Preparing and managing the National Frequency Plan and overall coordination of frequencies in the Kingdom
• Meeting spectrum requirements when preparing the National Frequency Plan, which sets technical policies related to the planning and distribution of the spectrum for all its resources in the Kingdom
• Meeting the spectrum requirements of all sectors, including entities responsible for civil defense and security
• Supporting the use of technologies that rely on spectrum efficiency
• Meeting all international treaties and requirements
• Meeting the spectrum needs of international radio services such as Galileo and GPS
• Facilitating the use of a Disaster Prevention Frequency System in the region and throughout the world to help emergency and rescue teams communicate with each other
• Studying matters related to the spectrum
• Participating in international meetings and conventions related to the spectrum, following coordination with concerned entities

The Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister

The Ministerial Committee for Development and Infrastructure Projects was formed by Decision No. (42) of 2018, which states that ministerial committees must be formed within the Cabinet.

Scope

• Studying developmental and infrastructural projects and overseeing their implementation
• Reviewing policies and strategies that ensure the provision citizens infrastructure needs related to works, electricity, water, housing, municipalities, urban planning, agriculture, environment, and land, sea, and air transport
• Monitoring the speed through which services are provided to citizens, increasing their efficiency, and coordinating between concerned ministries
• Studying matters submitted by the Cabinet that are relevant to the committee’s tasks

The Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance

The Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance was formed by Prime Minister Decision No. (42) of 2018.

Scope

The committee’s responsibilities include:

• The fiscal and economic tasks of ministries, and other government entities and public organisations
• The state budget, independent and supplementary budgets, closing accounts, and national economic plans
• All fiscal and economic matters, and helping to achieve fiscal balance
• The fiscal and economic affairs of industries, companies, and organisations
• Monitoring the implementation of economic, financial, and investment-related tasks as per the Government Action Plan