IfG.CC - The Potsdam eGovernment Competence Center

As Ooredoo’s security partner in Qatar, Atos will provide its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service powered by its AIsaac platform

Atos and Doha-based telco Ooredoo have announced key cybersecurity partnership to deliver threat detection and response services to Qatar Smart Program ‘TASMU.’

The initiative will be driven by the Ministry of Transport and Communication (MOTC) and will ultimately support the Qatar National Vision 2030.

Accelerating the development of Qatar's digital economy is one of the catalysts in the pursuit of economic prosperity and sustainability.

In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) launched the Smart Qatar (TASMU) programme, which has positively impacted Qatar's digital economy through implementing digital strategies, enablers, key infrastructures, and investments.

The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani launched it on Monday while inaugurating the third edition of Qatar’s ICT conference and exhibition ‘QITCOM 2014’ at Qatar National Convention Centre.

HIE expert from the US, Dr Sue Feldman said it was important to see people use the HIE as a standard of care once it is in place.

Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of a one-day roundtable titled ‘Doha e-Health Dialogues-The Communication Exchange’, she said: “People have to use the HIE in order to report public health information on public health surveillance and in order to exchange referrals. The value proportion really is in the usage of it and having useful information come from it.”

Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in collaboration with Microsoft, launches the National Skilling Program

Qatar’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, in collaboration with Microsoft, has launched a new initiative aimed at accelerating sustainable human development and digital transformation in the country.

The launch of the National Skilling Program is in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 and coincided with the opening ceremony of the Digital Centre of Excellence, the first of its kind in Qatar in Msheireb Downtown Doha.

The ICT sector contributed about $1.5bn to GDP in 2010. The report pointed out that Qatar leads the Arab world in the Network Readiness Index, which ranks 144 countries on broad criteria to determine the present status of their ICT sector.

The report identifies key areas that require improvement and also details a number of initiatives aimed at improving technology usage and accessibility that will ensure that everyone advances together in the technology race.

The DIS was developed in support of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Plan and the recently-launched Qatar National Broadband Plan.

The Hukoomi portal, which has been developed by Singaporean IT service provider NCS, provides a range of services for businesses and individuals.

“e-Participation is the sum total of both the government’s programmes to encourage participation from the public and the willingness of the public to do so. It is imperative that to successfully embrace e-Participation in the State of Qatar, thereby ensuring social and economic progress of the nation, all government agencies implement the provisions as laid out in the draft policy provisions,” said Hassan Jassim al-Sayed, ictQATAR assistant secretary general, Information Technology Sector, ICT Government Programmes.

“The Ministry of Interior’s sponsorship comes within the framework of cooperation and coordination with ictQatar to highlight the role of the MoI in enhancing the services it offers to the both Qatari nationals and residents and turning these services from paper-based to electronic, which has achieved great success,” said Rinal Chaaban, Qitcom project lead, fischerAppelt qatar, commenting on MoI’s sponsorship of this year’s edition of the exhibition.

The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (ictQATAR) and Qatar Museums have signed an MoU for digitizing 3D materials. As per the MoU, Qatar Museums becomes the 3D Conversion Center for the State of Qatar.

The agreement was signed by Reem Al-Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society, ICT and Society, ictQATAR, and Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al-Mahmoud, Acting CEO of Qatar Museums.

Msheireb Properties, Qatar''s leading sustainable properties developer and the Qatar University (QU) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate in the area of smart cities.

Mohammed Essa Al Boainain, Acting Chief Officer for Design and Delivery at Msheireb Properties and Prof Mariam Ali Al Maadeed, Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Office at QU signed the agreement, which will allow mutual exchange of information, researches, and expertise between both parties. Dr Abdelaziz Bouras, Pre-Awards Manager at QU and Otman Aghmou, Senior Manager for ICT Commercial at Msheireb Properties were also present at the signing ceremony which was held at the Msheireb Downtown Doha.

Qatar is ranked 23rd globally in “network readiness” while leading the entire Arab world, according to the 12th annual Global Information Technology Report (GITR) report.

The report - prepared by international business school, INSEAD, and the World Economic Forum with the help of Booz and Company and CISCO - notes that Qatar has climbed five places up in the global rankings, which reflects the government’s efforts at enhancing online services in the country.

Over 1.5 million transactions were recorded by various departments of the General Directorate of Passports at the Ministry of Interior (MoI) last month within the framework of the services provided by the MoI to the general public.

'The transactions completed by the General Directorate of Passports showed increase in the number of transactions as it reached to 1,556,867, said the Ministry of Interior on its official website.

atar has all the right ingredients to become a globally renowned leader in technology and innovation. It boasts world-class, robust infrastructure; a young, tech-savvy generation – the current median age of its population is approximately 33 years; and it is directed by the Qatar National Vision 2030, a blueprint for economic and social development that has digital transformation at its very heart.

The National Vision 2030 was first set out in 2008 and has since weathered financial, geopolitical, and health crises of varying degrees to remain firmly on course and achieve its overarching goals. The government’s framework is diversifying the national economy, empowering the private sector, and completely changing the way the public sector caters to people’s needs.

Qatar Airways has won the ‘Middle East Smart Government & Smart Services Excellence Award’ for its ‘Smart Tourism E-Services’, at a ceremony held by the Middle East Excellence Awards Institute at the Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre yesterday.

The institute of Middle East Excellence Awards recognises the significance of honouring excellent organisations and companies for their achievements in streamlining their online services that contribute to the competitiveness of the variety of e-services found in the Middle East.

Msheireb Properties, subsidiary of Qatar Foundation, organised the first-of-its-kind virtual summit in the region - “Doha Smart Cities Summit,” recently.

The summit featured representatives of Msheireb Properties, the leading sustainable real estate development company in Qatar along with global smart cities leaders, innovators, and experts locally, regionally and internationally.

The energy-rich economy advanced five places to 23rd in the 2013 rankings as the government’s effort to expand its online services and increase online participation of citizens paid rich dividends.

The Steering Committee tasked with implementing the Qatar e-Government 2020 Strategy has made “significant” progress in fulfilling its scheduled targets, review meetings have found.

Chaired by HE the Minister of Information and Communications Technology Dr Hessa Sultan al-Jaber, the latest review meetings were held by the committee over the past two weeks with HE the Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi, HE the Minister of Development Planning and Statistics Dr Saleh Mohamed Salem al-Nabit and HE the Minister of of Public Health Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani After the sessions, it has been agreed to establish joint task work groups, under the committee’s supervision, to step up the pace of project implementation.

According to the biennial report, Qatar has ranked 44th among the 193 member countries included in the survey.

It climbed four notches from its 48th position in 2012. It ranked ninth in Asia.