The Bahrain Open Data Portal was awarded the Best Open Data Initiative at the 5th GCC Digital Government Award during the 2nd Digital Government Forum in Riyadh under the theme 'Our Future is Now.' Various Bahraini initiatives, including the Commercial Registration Portal (Sijilat) and the National Suggestion and Complaint System (Tawasul), reached the final stages after competing against other GCC projects.

Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive of the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), expressed pride in the win, attributing it to the vision of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in adopting digital transformation and technology investment. Al Qaed congratulated General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communication Technology (MCICT), for the success of the project.

The GCC Digital Government Award is a biennial competition showcasing government entities' best practices aligned with GCC standards and goals, contributing to the development of a digital economy and society. Al Qaed highlighted Bahrain's achievements in digital advancements, emphasizing its regional and global ICT sector reputation.

He noted Bahrain's approach to facilitating data and information exchange, citing privacy and data protection laws and policies like the Once-Only Data Policy. Al Qaed showcased successful projects such as the electronic processing of ID card services and Sijilat, streamlining processes through data integration. He emphasized the strong support from Bahrain's leadership, contributing to ICT infrastructure development and enhancing government eServices.

The GCC eGovernment Award aims to highlight digital government achievements, announce the 2023 Digital Transformation Index, build partnerships, showcase challenges and best practices, and create a platform for knowledge exchange among organizations, specialists, and experts.