At the outset of the meeting, the Chief Executive welcomed the founders, expressing his appreciation for their visit to the Kingdom and their participation in the 7th round of the Award, which reflects the longstanding journey of joint GCC cooperation in digital transformation and the development of government services.

Mr. Al Qaed also acknowledged the contributions of the former heads of digital government authorities and agencies, emphasizing that their honorary attendance was in recognition of their vision and efforts in laying the foundations for the GCC Digital Government Award and establishing the Executive Committee. Their contributions have helped consolidate the Award’s journey and strengthen its role in supporting digital transformation and advancing government operations across the GCC countries.

The Chief Executive highlighted the importance of continuing the GCC Digital Government Award’s journey and building on its achievements to support the advancement of digital government, strengthen integration, and promote the exchange of expertise among GCC countries.

For their part, the founders expressed their sincere thanks and appreciation to the Kingdom of Bahrain and iGA, commending the initiative to honor them and recognize their contributions to establishing the Award. They also expressed their gratitude to His Excellency General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology. They praised the remarks delivered by His Excellency during the GCC Digital Government Award Ceremony and expressed their appreciation for the valuable meeting, which provided an opportunity to exchange views on the future of digital governments across the GCC and ways to further advance their development.

They further noted that the Award, first launched in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2008, has evolved over the years into a GCC-wide platform that encourages excellence and innovation in the delivery of digital government services. They also commanded the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to them, as well as the high standard of organization demonstrated at the 7th round of the 2026 GCC Digital Government Award. They noted that the event reflected the Kingdom’s commitment to ensuring the success of this important GCC occasion and strengthening cooperation and digital integration among member states.

During the meeting, the former heads congratulated all winners of the 7th round of the Award and expressed their best wishes for their continued progress and success.

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