Kuwait – June 27, 2022: The late Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, as well as winners of the 20th Edition of the His Highness Sheikh Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah Informatics Award will be honored in a belated ceremony on Monday, June 27th, at Bayan Palace. The 2020 Informatics Medal was bestowed upon the late Amir of Kuwait in honor of his memory and in recognition of his philanthropic leadership and dedication to information technology and sciences among other significant fields. The awards ceremony had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic which halted gatherings and large events.

The nine winners of 2020 hail from the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman. The awarding ceremony will be sponsored by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah and attended by His Highness the Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. 

 

The Informatics Award was established in 2001, the first of its kind in region, and it has honored hundreds of participants, innovators and volunteers from the GCC and the Middle East in various fields such as information technology, human and community development and sciences. 

Speaking on the event, the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Award, Sheikha Aida Salem Al-Ali Al-Sabah said that in only 20 years, there have been hundreds of participants and winners. The COVID-19 pandemic has struck all walks of life but did not deter the work of the Informatics Award and its commitment to the world of digital and information technology. 

“The award is able to withstand global challenges, adapt to changes and developments and preserve community and culture. Therefore, the 20th Edition was entitled “Best Technical Projects”, apart from the Informatics Medal. The Award further provided a training course through the Informatics Academy to children aged 11-17 years on the basics of digital manufacturing,” she stated.

 

The winners of the 20th Edition of Informatics Award are: 

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - The Communications and Information Technology Commission for its project Platform for Delivery Applications via Electronic Platforms 

• The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – The Saudi Red Crescent Authority for its project Asfeni

• The State of Kuwait - Zain in joint collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT) for its project Shlonik

• The State of Kuwait - The Public Institution for Social Security for its project Insurances Thukher

• The State of Kuwait - Jif Company for the design and management of websites for its project Jif.

• The State of Kuwait - Fanajeen General Trading Company for its project Fanajeen

• The Kingdom of Bahrain - the General Directorate of Traffic of the Ministry of Interior for its project Traffic Services

• The Kingdom of Bahrain - the Ministry of Education for its project Electronic Educational Portal.

• The Sultanate of Oman - the Ministry of Health for its project Trassod Plus

 

Meanwhile, the event will also host an exhibition to showcase the Informatic Awards’ most prominent achievements since its establishment in 2001, including the 332 winners from 12 Arab countries with information on their projects. It will also showcase the 14 winners of the Informatics Medal, winners of the “Shift Kuwait” competition throughout the years, as well as the 486 volunteers from the State of Kuwait and other global and Arab countries. 

Furthermore, the exhibition will showcase other cultural activities hosted by the award during its successful career, such as the World Informatics Forum, dialogue boards, informatics bureaus, blogging competitions, and the award pavilions held at the Kuwait International Book Fair for several years.