Participants in the first-ever GCC e-Government Conference hosted by Muscat which opened on Monday, agreed, among others, the holding of a GCC conference to discuss the challenges facing the e-Government process, besides exchanging expertise and ideas and coping with the latest developments in the communications and information technology field. Saudi Arabia's participation in this event, which continues for three days, comes through the working paper submitted by Eng. Ali Al-Soma as well as the nomination of a number of government agencies' projects to compete for the conference's five awards: e-Services, e-Content, e-Maturity; e-Economy and e-Project. Eng. Ali Bin Saleh Al-Soma, general manager of e-Government Program “Yesser”, pointed out that this participation comes within the framework of cooperation and exchange of experiences and promote development in the GCC countries by utilizing digital technology in order to provide the best e-government services to citizens and residents of the GCC states, stressing the importance of communications and information technology, which is an important tributary of the national economy. A number of Saudi government agencies participate in the exhibition including: e-Government Program “Yesser”, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Higher Education, and Al-Elm Company for Information Security, SADAD payment system, and the Saudi Project for exchanging information electronically “SaudiEDI”, which seek to highlight the best achievements of the Kingdom in the provision of electronic services and transactions. Separately, a top Saudi industrialist has been confirmed as a speaker at an upcoming high-level industry forum in Bahrain. Dr Solaiman A Al-Twaijri, managing director and chief executive officer, Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company (Amiantit), will present a speech entitled ‘The Future is Industry – an Entrepreneur's View' at the Gulf Industry Forum set to take place at the Bahrain International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) on January 12, 2010. Dr Al-Twaijri is a leading businessman, entrepreneur and academic applying his financial and accountancy expertise in a number of key sectors. He previously worked in high positions in King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), and in the food manufacturing and telecommunications industries. He is also the driving force behind the recent decision by Amiantit to locate a new $60 million pipe manufacturing and export facility at Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), as part of the company's global expansion strategy. Dr Al-Twaijri is the latest in an impressive line-up of confirmed speakers at Gulf Industry Forum, who will look at the catalysts of economic prosperity around the world and examine how the industrial sector can emerge from recession and help increase industrial and manufacturing output in Gulf countries. The Gulf Industry Forum will run alongside Gulf Industry Fair, which is being held at the BIEC on Jan. 12
