By Deepak John | The Peninsula
Qatar has made strides in digital transformation by developing its ICT sector. This is evident by consistent effort to offer top notch infrastructure and constant monitoring of digital performance which is guided by international best practice.
The Qatar National Vision 2030 emphasises that ‘enhancing competitiveness and attracting investment will be needed in a dynamic and increasingly borderless international economy,’ and calls for ‘a stimulating business climate capable of attracting foreign funds and technologies and of encouraging national investment’ the recently released ‘Future Readiness Economic Index (FREI) 2023 report has said.
The roadmap produced for the realisation of the Qatar National Vision 2030 is traced by the successive national development strategies that have been adopted and implemented to date.
Among the issues and priorities identified in these strategies is the need to harness ICT for economic and social good. Innovation, education, health, and economic diversification and growth are just some of the areas that, directly or indirectly, benefit from integrating key digital technologies into the fabric of today’s and tomorrow’s economy and society of Qatar, the report noted.
Qatar’s cloud-first policy places cloud computing at the heart of its digital transformation strategy. Introduced last year, the cloud-first policy builds on the Cloud Policy Framework issued by the CRA on June 7, 2022.This forward-looking policy framework sets the stage for a cloud-friendly environment in Qatar, emphasising crucial aspects such as security, privacy, data protection, transparency, and digital inclusion.
By adhering to principles of trust, security, and transparency, the policy aims to support Qatar’s aspirations to become a digital hub and aligns with CRA’s Strategy for 2020–2024. Its primary objectives include attracting both foreign and domestic investments in new digital services, facilitating the nation’s full digitalisation, and reducing carbon emissions by promoting carbon-neutral facilities and reducing on-premises data centres.
It also involves public and private stakeholders in the cloud value chain, including policy and regulatory recommendations such as the Cloud-First Policy and the National Information Assurance Policy. This comprehensive approach underscores Qatar’s commitment to leveraging cloud technologies for its digital transformation and sustainability goals.
Qatar’s e-Government 2020 Strategy set the foundation for a more open and efficient government, focusing on enhancing online services for individuals and businesses. As an extension of this strategy, various government agencies are advancing their digitalisation efforts, integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, cloud computing, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), to develop smart solutions across key sectors.
MCIT has announced the Digital Factory initiative in last year which marks a significant transformation in the delivery of government digital services, moving from traditional methods to a more unified and integrated approach. Central to this initiative is user-centric design, aimed at making government services more intuitive and responsive to the needs of citizens, residents, businesses, and visitors.
Middle East Business
