The speaker pointed out that the council submitted a suggestion for the government’s willingness on such a topic, due to its significance, stating that it included an array of perspectives that would reduce the negative impacts of modern technology, ensure good utilization and raise awareness on the risks of mishandling this technology.
At the outset of the presentation, Minister of Communications and Information Technology HE Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai presented detailed overviews over the digital transformation strategy pursued by the ministry, highlighting that it comes as part of the national efforts dedicated to enhancing the digital economy and improving the citizens’ life quality.
The minister pointed out that the strategy, in question, focuses on key multiple themes that include upgradation of the digital infrastructure and spurring innovation in the e-government services, highlighting that the Qatar Digital Government primarily focuses on providing a multitude of benefits for the Qatari community.
He noted that the 2030 Digital Agenda strives to upgrade the government efficiency and focus on the services offered to the public.
Regarding the ministry’s strategic objectives, the minister elucidated that the objectives entail promoting the level of government services afforded to individuals and companies, as well as government administrative processes and increasing the level of transparency and community engagement through government openness, noting the implementation of three major projects in the first phase to enhance community participation, which include the electronic participation project and the open data portal project.
On the policy and legislation side, he tackled the ministry’s efforts to enhance information and communications technology, by crafting appropriate laws, policies and standards in support of these efforts. He added that the ministry has achieved most prominent milestones and performance indicators to evaluate those achievements, affirming that the ministry has succeeded in increasing the percentage of government services available online, and improving the user experience to access them quickly and easily.
He underlined that performance indicators include providing a periodic evaluation of the extent to which the Qatar Digital Government achieves its vision and goals, including monitoring digital services and evaluating digital transformation in government agencies.
The minister highlighted that the launch of the Digital Agenda 2030 is a critical event that reflects the comprehensive digital transformation within the country, as such a step is considered a continuation of the process of technological renaissance that drew on technological progress, sustainability and economic diversification, noting that the agenda represents the Ministry’s ambitious vision to build a prosperous digital future for Qatar. It enhances Qatar’s position as a pioneering global hub for technology and innovation.
In the same context, Al Mannai indicated that the digital agenda includes a number of strategic programmes that fall under six strategic pillars that support foreign investment, the government sector, entrepreneurship, and the private sector, and attract the world’s leading information technology companies and digital talents.
The minister hailed the digital factory as one of the important initiatives launched by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, to provide a unified digital platform that aims to relaunch government services and provide them interactively to citizens and residents.
He added that develops the user experience and encourages innovation and provide high quality products at a competitive cost at the global level, which enhances sustainable development efforts and highlights Qatar’s role as a centre for manufacturing leadership in the region.
He stressed that this initiative is among the most important strategic projects aimed at strengthening the manufacturing industry in Qatar, by adopting digital technology such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, and 3D printing.
Regarding digital transformation, the minister indicated that the digital transformation of government services includes modernizing and improving government services to become more effective and easy to access online, including improving the user experience and reducing paper procedures.
He stressed that the ministry is investing in developing the technological infrastructure to support digital transformation, by improving communications and providing a fast and reliable Internet network. Regarding encouraging investment and educating society about the uses of technology, he said that the ministry is working to encourage investment in the communications and information technology sector, and is carrying out campaigns to educate society about the importance of using technology and familiarizing it with the pros and cons of its use, by holding training and awareness programmes, and holding workshops for both individuals and companies.
Regarding the file of supporting innovation and emerging projects, the minister stressed that supporting innovation and encouraging emerging projects is one of the main goals of the Ministry’s strategy, expressing his pride in cooperating with the private sector and academies to develop innovation centres that provide resources and support to innovators and entrepreneurs.
He pointed out that the ministry has launched investment funds aimed at supporting promising projects in their early stages, in addition to working to remove regulatory obstacles that prevent the growth of these projects and enhancing the business environment to make them more attractive for investment.
In addition, the Shura Council members appreciated the ministry’s efforts aimed at developing the digital infrastructure, in accordance with the directives of the wise leadership, and the digital transformation efforts and enhancing investment in this promising sector, stressing that the digital transformation efforts led by the ministry contribute to improving government services and raising its efficiency.
They addressed several main topics: artificial intelligence, developing government services, protecting community members from electronic fraud, and programs and applications for emerging companies.
Speaking about these aspects, the members stressed the absence of legislation related to artificial intelligence, pointing to the need to develop laws and regulatory frameworks that ensure optimal dealing with new technologies and provide legal protection for their users, through cooperation with educational and research institutions to develop policies and laws. Regarding the challenges of digital transformation and the importance of accelerating this process to improve the provision of government services, they pointed to the need to reduce personal visits to complete government transactions, by strengthening the effective electronic system, reviewing the most prominent current problems such as redundancy and duplication of applications and the need to organize and improve these systems. As for e-fraud, they focused on the challenges related to protecting community members from fraud.
The Shura Council members also stressed need for the development of programmes and applications to meet the needs of young people in light of the digital transformation. They noted the need for programmes, applications and the content of social media programmes directed to the Qatari community to be compatible with religious and moral values, in a way that is compatible with the customs and traditions of society and does not conflict with identity. During their discussions with the Minister, the members stressed the need for the digital transformation strategy to be linked to achieving economic and social benefits for citizens, highlighting the significance of strengthening regional and international cooperation in the field of technology and exchanging experiences and knowledge to attain sustainable progress in the digital transformation domain. The members called for the provision of special programmes to support groups who face difficulty in dealing with technical developments so that they can keep pace with the digital transformation.
Replying to questions raised by members of the Shura Council about artificial intelligence and the development of government services, the minister affirmed that the ministry is cooperating with research institutions, including Hamad Bin Khalifa University, to study the dimensions and effects of artificial intelligence developments and its rapid changes.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is examining the possibility of developing an advanced regulatory framework for artificial intelligence through which the ethical and legal challenges in this aspect can be dealt with. He also stressed the ongoing efforts to improve and digitize government services to facilitate access to them and improve the user experience, with a focus on reducing redundancy and improving integration between different government applications.
Regarding protecting community members from fraud and developing programmes for young people, the minister noted extensive cooperation with the security bodies to combat electronic crimes and enhance security measures, with a focus on the international aspects of threats. He stressed the importance of integrating technology into education and providing technological educational programs that contribute to developing young people’s skills and making them aware of the safety of the digital space to enhance their ability to interact safely and effectively in a rapidly changing technological world.
Regarding the focus of the digital strategy on achieving economic and social benefits for citizens, His Excellency stressed that the strategy was designed based on these priorities, indicating that all digital plans and projects seek to create added value for society and improve the quality of life of citizens.
On the groups who face difficulty in dealing with technical developments, he stressed the ministry’s commitment to providing support and assistance to such groups and ensuring the provision of an enabling environment that allows them to effectively engage in digital transformation and benefit from its advantages.
At the conclusion, the Shura Council speaker, expressed his utmost thanks and appreciation to His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the great interest given by His Highness to the communications and information technology sector, which reflected in the establishment of a special ministry for this vital and important sector as well as the establishment of a special national agency for cybersecurity to strengthen the country’s efforts in seeking digital transformation, to realize global leadership, and to achieve national cybersecurity in the face of the global challenges for this sector.
