His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), stated that the GCC Digital Government Award acquires special significance, underscoring that it is not merely an occasion to honour the winning entities. "It's a Gulf platform to discover exceptional ideas, stimulate innovation, and transform successful experiences into opportunities for development and mutual benefit," His Excellency stressed.
He further emphasised: "We believe that the true value of this award is not measured solely by the number of winning entities, but by the extent of our ability to mainstream successful experiences, capitalise on innovative solutions, and transform individual achievements into added value for joint Gulf action."
His Excellency's remarks came during the Digital Government Award ceremony, held on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, in the Bahraini capital, Manama. The ceremony took place on the sidelines of the 10th Meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Digital Government, in the presence of His Excellency General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
At the outset of his speech, His Excellency the Secretary General extended his deepest expressions of thanks and profound gratitude to His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of the Kingdom of Bahrain and to His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the Kingdom of Bahrain's gracious hosting of this ceremony. He commended the support, care, and attention that the march of joint Gulf action receives from Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC states.
Furthermore, His Excellency the Secretary General expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Ministry of Interior and the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA) in the Kingdom of Bahrain for their exceptional efforts in organising the Digital Government Award ceremony.
"We live today in an era where digital transformation is no longer merely an option for developing government services, but has become a fundamental pillar for economic development, bolstering competitiveness, raising institutional efficiency, and improving the quality of human life. The GCC states—thanks to Allah the Almighty, followed by the wise visions of Their Majesties and Highnesses the Leaders of the GCC states - have recognised the significance of early investment in digital infrastructure, developing government services, building national capabilities, and adopting modern technologies.
These efforts have yielded qualitative achievements that have solidified the advanced standing of the GCC states in international digital government indicators, proving their ability to keep pace with rapid technological transformations and to contribute to shaping leading models in the delivery of government services," His Excellency explained.
His Excellency pointed out that the progress accomplished in digital government across the GCC states propels us towards a more ambitious phase. "This phase is anchored in bolstering Gulf digital integration, facilitating cross-border government services, and employing Artificial Intelligence and modern technologies, which will contribute to improving service quality, facilitating citizen mobility and economic activities, and cementing the competitiveness of the GCC states," His Excellency highlighted.
He underscored that the upcoming stage necessitates transitioning from the excellence of national experiences to the integration of Gulf capabilities, and transforming digital innovations into shared successes that benefit the citizens and residents of the GCC states.
His Excellency the Secretary General concluded his speech by extending thanks and appreciation to all participating entities, the judging panels, and the organising committees, while congratulating the entities that won this award. He conveyed his aspiration for this award to serve as a catalyst for further cooperation and innovation, and a bridge towards a more integrated, competitive, and prosperous Gulf digital future.
