ICT Market in Bahrain has a key role in enhancing the business environment for the trillion dollar Gulf market. It is a crucial element in achieving the ambitions of Vision 2030 and the National Economic Strategy; to enable continued private sector growth, support further diversification of the economy and – ultimately – elevate national living standards by creating greater opportunities for Bahrainis.
Bahrain was ranked first in the Gulf and wider Middle East and 13th of 192 countries worldwide in the 2010 United Nations Global e-Government Readiness Survey. The UN noted that the assessment of the application of ICT to provide access and inclusion for citizens was a function of not only a country’s state of readiness but also its technological and telecommunication infrastructure, together with its level of human development. In March 2009, the Kingdom jumped eight places to 37th of 134 economies in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Information Technology Report.
Leading international ICT businesses that have already set-up regional offices in Bahrain include Microsoft, Hewlett Packard, WIPRO, Mahindra Satyam, Software AG, Netgear, and Tata Consultancy Services.
As Bahrain's economic growth curve rises, ICT has emerged as one of the most appealing areas for domestic as well as foreign investors. The Bahrain ICT market has a huge potential demand. This Portal serves as a global knowledge sharing and networking platform for officials from worldwide organizations and specialists from across the Kingdom.
According to the Global Information Readiness Report, Bahrain ranks exceptionally high in almost every category of ITC readiness on the Networked Readiness Index (NRI). Overall, Bahrain is ranked 29th (out of 133) countries—and 2nd in the GCC. On many individual portions of the Index, however, it is rated much higher; for example, Bahrain ranks among the 133 rated countries, as: 8th in e-class government services 10th in ICT usage 11th in e-participation 15th in business-friendly ICT market environment 17th in government readiness 21st in individual readiness