KUWAIT: NoufEXPO and the Federation of Kuwait Engineering Offices & Consultant Houses (KFEOCH) announced in a press release that they will organize the "9th eGovernment Forum" on Oct 23-25, 2022. This became possible since Kuwait restored regular life practices and succeeded in overcoming the risks of COVID-19. EGOV9 will convene at the Al-Baraka Ballroom of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. EGOV9 convenes under the auspices of Rana Al-Fares, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs.

EGOV9, whose motto states, "e-Government is a Pillar of Comprehensive Development Renaissance," aims to trigger a comprehensive development renaissance in Kuwait, where technology in general and e-government programs, in particular, represent the pillar of this renaissance. More precisely, EGOV9 aims to turn Kuwait's digital transformation efforts into a renaissance path charting Kuwait's bright future while integrating with Kuwait's vision of 2035.

President of KFEOCH Bader Al-Salman commented on the EGOV9 motto by saying: "EGOV9 motto reflects a logical direction to link the comprehensive and integrated e-government initiative development with the execution of the development plans of Kuwait. Both are strategic projects requiring renovating government departments and re-engineering government processes according to new principles. Some government agencies may require restructuring to improve their efficiency and productivity. The concurrent implementation of both initiatives will result in significant savings in financial resources, human effort, and time."

Magdy Sabry, the Executive Manager of NoufEXPO, said: "EGOV9 continues its contributing role to Kuwait's development by presenting the vision of synchronizing the execution of both Kuwait's development plan and its integrated e-government program. We believe this represents the right track to put Kuwait on the path of real growth based on future technological foundations. This will help Kuwait rightly position itself among its neighbors and the group of developed nations. This visionary route, as well, will contribute to opening the horizons of the information economy to young Kuwaiti generations."

Sabry expressed his delight to come back to in-person events that allow meeting with officials and friends of participating organizations, sponsors, experts, and specialists directly after successfully overcoming COVID-19." Sabry added that face-to-face meetings provide an interaction we miss in virtual conferences despite NoufEXPO's success in organizing virtual conferences over the past two years.

Participants

In addition to hosting many government institutions related to developing and implementing development plans in Kuwait, EGOV9 will attract international technology companies specialized in developing e-government programs and boosting the efficiency of government agencies. EGOV9 will also host a technology exhibition that allows sponsoring companies to highlight their products, services, experiences, and technical capabilities through their booths. They can also network directly with visitors; collect their contact details, business reports, and brochures.

KFEOCH and NoufEXPO concluded their press release by extending gratitude to many global and local technology vendors who persistently participated in the previous EGOV events. International vendors include Microsoft, IBM, EMC, CISCO, Symantec, Fortinet, FireEye, EY, SAP, Huawei, Aruba, Red Canari, and Techno-Management.

Local vendors include major Kuwaiti enterprises such as VIVA, Al-Ghanem Industries, Kuwait United Co. for Copies and Computer Services, KFH, Zain, KNET, Sultan Center, and Advanced Technology Company (ATC). KFEOCH and NoufEXPO look forward to welcoming organizations specialized in executing national development plans and eGovernment programs, especially those with similar successful experiences in the GCC countries.