DPM meets DCO General Assembly meeting delegates

Manama, Jan. 31 (BNA): Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, the Deputy Prime Minister, highlighted the support of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and with the follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for initiatives aimed at enhancing international and organisational cooperation and coordination in digital technologies.

He said Bahrain was keen on utilising the economic, social and environmental benefits that those technologies and the transition to artificial intelligence (AI) bring to humanity, through the exchange of expertise, knowledge transfer and applying best practices.

Shaikh Khalid said the government has made significant progress in implementing its strategy to develop the information and communications technology (ICT) sector for the years (2022-2026).
The strategy focuses on making Bahrain a hub for digital innovation in the region, attracting leading companies specialised in advanced technology and providing a world-class, highly developed digital infrastructure, he said.

The strategy will contribute to serving the progress of development programmes in Bahrain and lead to creating quality opportunities for citizens, in line with the objectives set by the Government Plan (2023-2026), Bahrain Economic Vision (2030) and sustainable development goals (SDGs), he added.

The Deputy Prime Minister spoke during a meeting with ministers and heads of delegations and organisations participating in the third meeting of the General Assembly of the Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), which is hosted and headed by Bahrain in its current session.

The meeting discussed plans and strategies of the DCO to support digital prosperity.

Present were Mohammed bin Thamer Al Kaabi, the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications, and Deemah Yahya Al Yahya, the Secretary General of DCO.

Shaikh Khalid noted the international importance of DCO member states in terms of their economies and the size of their digital markets, which are considered a conducive medium for investment and growth.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the meeting of the DCO represented a platform to discuss opportunities and challenges and to formulate policies that contribute to digital prosperity.

Shaikh Khalid commended the role of the Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications in leading the current session of the DCO General Assembly, which has seen a number of innovative initiatives presented by Bahrain to encourage cooperation and facilitate innovation and digital transition. He also congratulated Ahmed Qassim Al Hanandeh, the Jordanian Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, on heading the upcoming fourth session.