Kuwait: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, announced its platinum sponsorship of the ninth eGovernment Forum (EGOV9). The event was organized by NoufEXPO in collaboration with the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) and the Kuwait Federation of Engineering Offices and Consultant Houses, and came under the patronage and attendance of H.E. Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs Mazen Al Nahedh.

Zain took part in the forum’s opening ceremony, held at Crown Plaza Hotel, and attended by the event’s patron H.E. Minister of Commerce and Industry and Minister of State for Communications and Information Technology Affairs Mazen Al Nahedh, Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman Al Roudhan, Chairman and CEO of the Communication and Information Technology Authority (CITRA) Omar Al Omar, Zain Kuwait Chief Enterprise Business Officer Hamad Al Marzouq, NoufEXPO GM Yousef Al Marzouq, CAIT GM Haya Al Wadani, and Director of the Kuwait Federation of Engineering Offices and Consultant Houses Bader Al Salman.

Al Roudhan delivering her opening speech

During her opening speech, Zain Kuwait CEO Eaman Al Roudhan said: “We’re proud to have Zain as a sponsor and a participant at this distinguished annual event throughout the past five years. We strongly believe in involving the private sector in executing the national development plan, and perhaps the most crucial aspect of the success of that involvement is the steady expansion of implementing comprehensive digital transformation within the nation’s various institutions.”

Al Roudhan continued: “Without a doubt, EGOV has actively contributed – throughout the course of its past editions – to offering sound solutions and effective future roadmaps to further develop local e-government services, ultimately contributing to achieving the New Kuwait Vision 2035.”

Al Roudhan added: “We believe the Kuwaiti private sector is a strategic partner, an invaluable player, and a main pillar of local developmental plans. The sector has a prominent role in leading the economic scene, encouraging competitiveness, and increasing productivity and efficiency, guided by our nation’s vision and rich identity. Together, we can achieve human growth, build a robust infrastructure, and create attractive job opportunities for Kuwait’s youth to grow their skills and develop their careers and gain experiences to continue our nation’s leadership in the region.”

Al Roudhan noted: “Zain has a distinguished track of fruitful partnerships with many government institutions throughout the recent years. We took many steady steps towards strengthening our leadership position in the local and regional ICT sector, as well as our vision to empower full digital transformation in all of Kuwait’s vital sectors.”

Al Roudhan went on to explain: “A key example on that is our collaboration with the Ministry of Electricity, Water, and Renewable Energy to launch the smart meters ecosystem, which features digital channels that allow users to track and manage consumption, as well as online payment portals to settle electricity bills.”

Al Nahedh honoring Waleed Al Khashti for Zain’s sponsorship with presence of Al Wadani, Al Marzouq, and Al Salman

Al Roudhan added: “We were also pleased to partner with the Ministry of Information to launch the first app of its kind to watch Kuwait TV channels, live TV, and on-demand programs. We have many strategic projects that support and implement more digital transformation applications with the aim of facilitating services for citizens and residents, as well as enhancing the efficiency and performance of the various vital bodies from both the private and public sectors.”

Al Roudhan concluded: “As you all know, the pillars of success for digital transformation go beyond creating digital applications. For this, we aspire to continue building other pillars, such as datacenters, cloud computing, and digital skills academies to join the public sector in developing and growing Kuwait’s digital economy.”

EGOV9 aimed at shaping a starting point for a comprehensive process of renewal and growth in the State of Kuwait, centering around technology and e-government programs. This year’s forum contributed to taking Kuwait’s digital transformation efforts towards drawing a bright future that goes line in line with the New Kuwait 2035 vision.