Dear Forum Attendees,
The Arab E-Content Awards 2009, held under the patronage of His Excellency Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology, are part of Bahrain's efforts to encourage e-content creativity in Bahrain and further afield, within the international initiatives to bridge the digital divide among the UN Member States.

The hosting of these prestigious awards, in cooperation with the UN's World Summit Awards (WSA), is also part of Bahrain's commitment to this international initiative. Registration and evaluation by the jury, therefore, will be part of an international system created by international e-content experts.

The overriding goals of the Arab eContent Awards are to strengthen cooperation among Arab countries in this important area whilst also helping innovative electronic products from the region achieve global recognition through qualification for the World Summit Awards. The winning entries from the local e-content Awards in the region will be evaluated based on the same international criteria set by the WSA. The overall winners will be announced and recognized at the opening of the Bahrain International eGovernment Forum 2009.

Through its e-government programs and strategies, the Kingdom of Bahrain works to implement the mechanisms to support all technology sectors, as well as cooperating with international organizations to develop Arab electronic content and create a world-class Arab e-content industry. The Arab eContent Awards therefore are the beginning of these programs and there will be several other initiatives in the near future through which the eGovernment Authority aims to motivate electronic innovation, encourage creativity, and develop the Arab e-content industry.

Ahmed Bin Ateyat Allah Al Khalifa,
Minister of Cabinet Affairs