News | Ministry of Transport

Monday, November 4, 2019

MOTC, Microsoft Partner on Qatar’s Digital Transformation Agenda

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC) and Microsoft, have announced a new partnership that will accelerate the digital transformation agenda across Qatar with the selection of Microsoft Azure as its preferred cloud platform to achieve those goals.The collaboration is considered by the two sides as a solid starting point for government entities and organizations in Qatar to embark on, or continue their digital transformation journey through Microsoft Azure, which is poised to set a strong foundation to revolutionize digital adoption and transformation in the country. Microsoft will continue to work closely with MOTC and further developments on this partnership will be revealed in the coming few weeks.In the presence of HE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti, Mr. Eng. Khalid Al Hashmi, Assistant Undersecretary of Cyber Security, MOTC, said, “We are pleased to reveal some highlights of this partnership today with Microsoft within the framework of the Government of Qatar’s endeavors to accelerate the delivery of nationwide digital transformation plan, drive innovation across all industries aiming to better serve citizens, residents and visitors, enhance competitiveness and Qatar’s ranking globally, as well as universally positioning Qatar free zones potentials in hosting such initiatives.”“The Government is developing its vision for the future and providing plans that address the key elements of digital transformation. Through this partnership, we will be working jointly on developing capabilities in public and private sectors by upskilling and reskilling the workforce and we are confident our collaboration will speed up this momentum significantly, Eng. Al Hashmi added as he welcomes Mr. Michel van der Bel, President, Microsoft EMEA, at Microsoft booth during QITCOM at Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC).The two parties said Microsoft will be working closely with MOTC, government entities and private sector organizations to empower them to achieve transformation in their services and technology infrastructure.Microsoft Azure is compliant and helps customers in their journey to become compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and it is certified for a large portfolio of international security and privacy standards some of which form the basis of Qatar government policies, including MOTC’s National Information Assurance, and the Cloud Security and Information Privacy Protection regulations. Microsoft is also committed to open source technology, as Azure supports a wide variety of languages, tools and frameworks, enabling the freedom to build, manage and deploy workloads and applications at scale.“Microsoft is uniquely positioned to accelerate the Qatar National Vision 2030 and bring to life the transformative possibilities across its industries moving forward in the years ahead, particularly education, healthcare, transportation, logistics services, sports, and renewable resources replacing hydrocarbon resources,” said Lana Khalaf, Country Manager, Microsoft Qatar, in the presence of Mr. Michel van der Bel.“Our offerings and the intelligent cloud platform are contributing to establishing Qatar as a hub for digital transformation and innovation across industries and organizations for driving growth and productivity through systems of intelligence, that are the pillars of digital transformation - engage with your customers, empower your employees, optimize your operations, and reinvent products and business models,” she added.In addition to embracing Microsoft Azure, MOTC is also deploying Microsoft Office 365, thus further boosting it as a secure modern workplace. This is enabling the ministry to foster productivity, engagement, and seamless collaboration within its workforce, while implementing the highest security standards to protect against the evolving threat landscape.Microsoft cloud services empower businesses across sectors and sizes to increase their competitiveness, contribute to economic growth and reach markets regionally and globally. Through this partnership, MOTC also sees Azure playing a vital role in advancing Qatar’s ecosystem and supporting revenue and job growth by empowering customers, partners, Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), and start-ups in the country - as they continue to harness the power of the intelligent cloud.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Minister Meets with Kuwait Public Works Minister

Doha – QatarHE Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti met here today with Kuwaiti Minister of Public Works HE Dr. Jenan Ramadan.The two ministers discussed aspects of cooperation in the fields of transportation services, ports and aviation and means of further enhancing them, in addition to taking advantage of potential investment opportunities in those fields and a number of matters of common interest between the two brotherly countries.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Hukoomi Development Project Contract Signed

Doha – QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC), signed a contract, during Qatar IT Conference and Exhibition (QITCOM) 2019, for the development of the new version of Qatar e-Government Portal (Hukoomi), which will be completely redesigned and restructured, using the latest technologies and incorporating a wide range of services for government semi-government, and private entities.The announcement of the new project of Hukoomi portal comes within the framework of MOTC’s keenness to further develop the e-government portal and add innovative features that support the centralization of customers' journey, simplify users’ procedures, and meet the needs of all segments of the public, taking into account Persons with Disabilities, in addition to supporting the new portal with artificial intelligence technologies and open data, which are accessible on all kinds of computers, tablets, and smartphones.At the heart of its strategy, the new portal puts building an integrated platform that contains all the information and services needed by all segments of the country, including individuals, visitors, companies, and government entities, in addition to accelerating the pace of digital transformation, unifying the structure of digital services systems, linking between government and non-government entities, and taking full advantage of the digital government shared services. The portal will also be designed to be a secure, reliable platform with the highest international standards of security and privacy, as well as scalable and updatable, allowing more features to be added over time.In this occasion, Mr. Tareq Al Emadi, e-Government Portal Department Manager at MOTC, said: “With the new Hukoomi portal, we are taking a leap forward in our e-government strategy and creating new ways to engage citizens and residents in the government services and policy-making, through developing a flexible, user-friendly platform to deliver digital government services through a unified interface, which enables the Government of Qatar to seize special opportunities offered by the new technological innovation.”Al Emadi added: “The State of Qatar is embracing a fast track in digital transformation and enabling advanced technology to improve human life. Through the continuous development of Hukoomi, we seek to enable individuals and companies to access the information they need about government programs and services.”Khalid Al Mannai, Vice Chairman - Executive Committee of Mannai Corporation, the company responsible for the project’s execution, said: “We are delighted to partner with MOTC on the new version of Hukoomi portal, which will reflect the latest technology and introduce the next generation of portals for a smoother, easier experience for users. We dedicate our entire expertise in supporting portals to bring Hukoomi portal to a new level of development and excellence.He added: “The new version of Hukoomi will leverage the latest functionality and scalability enabling Government to serve more citizens, residents and visitors of Qatar. Through Hukoomi, MOTC will provide an unmatched user experience by consolidating the services provided by various government entities into a single portal.”The new portal contributes in the achievement of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2018-2022, in terms of developing a supportive infrastructure for the national economy that is characterized by sustainability, high quality, and the ability to keep abreast of the latest smart technological systems, as well as an ICT infrastructure that is of high quality and safe from risks, in addition to the inclusion of capabilities and institutional values to improve the level of services provided to individuals and companies, raising the efficiency of government administrative processes, and the effective use of IT in the provision of public services.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

MOTC signs contracts for 11 projects during QITCOM 2019 for the TASMU Smart Qatar Program

Doha, QatarThe Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC), has announced that it has signed contracts for 11 projects for its TASMU Smart Qatar Program during QITCOM 2019. QITCOM is the largest Information and Communication Technology showcase and event in Qatar, organized by MoTC.The TASMU Central Platform contract was awarded to a Consortium where Ooredoo is the main partner. The contract was signed by Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Bin Nasser Al Thani, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo. Other partners of the consortium included Microsoft, as the global technology enabler, PWC, as the consulting firm, TATA, as the system integrator, Malomatia, as the IT service provider, Dell, Cisco, Atos as the technology infrastructure enabler and security partners, S Software, as the business process management, PayCare, as the digital payment enabler, amongst others.Most importantly, these contracts will bring to life TASMU’s mega-project, the ‘TASMU Central Platform’, which will form the principal foundation of Qatar’s transformation into a smart country and will empower cross-sector collaboration, as well as data sharing, to encourage innovation and digital enablement across the country and its growing digital landscape.The Central Platform will be the main foundation of the TASMU Smart Qatar Program, connecting all projects and sectors, to activate integrated smart solutions. As the backbone of the TASMU program, the central platform will cater to all sectors’ requirements and standards. It will empower alliances and data sharing to spur innovation, create a comprehensive data repository housing all the data collected from its attached projects, and build on existing digitization progress and Qatar’s evolving national digital infrastructure.The highlights of the day also included the ‘Operations of the Smart Qatar Program Transformation Office’ contract being awarded to Deloitte. The contract was signed by Muhannad Tayem, Lead Partner Deloitte ME Business Transformation Portfolio.The ‘Smart Sectors Transformation Roadmap’ project was awarded to Oliver Wyman LLC Qatar. The contract was signed by Dr Neil Reid, Managing Partner at Oliver Wyman.Other projects awarded include, but not limited to, the ‘TASMU Digital Skills’ initiative that was awarded to Ronald Berger and signed by Stephan Essig, Managing Director. Among the smart sectors wave-2 smart solutions, ‘Insightful Customs Rating’, ‘Digital Farmer Community’ and ‘Virtual Consultation’ were awarded to Malomatia, and signed by Yousef Alnaama, CEO of Malomatia. Lastly, the ‘TASMU Six Policies and Standards Development’ was awarded to PA Consulting Group and signed by Hadi Faraj, Regional Partner of PA Consulting Group.The TASMU Smart Qatar initiative is the MoTC’s flagship national digitization program, designed to underpin, transform and accelerate the achievement of all the foundation pillars of the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030. The TASMU program is a primary driver of Qatar’s transformation into a sustainable and technology-driven country. It provides oversight, governance, structure and delivery enablement for the digital development and implementation of smart technologies across five priority national sectors; Transportation, Healthcare, Logistics, Environment, and Sports.The contracts signed by MoTC during QITCOM will support the advancement of these smart technologies, which are spread over 100 projects that are designed to address national challenges across the five priority sectors.Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary of Digital Society Development, at Ministry of Transport and Communications, said: “We are delighted with the signing of the contracts during QITCOM 2019 and are excited about the progress it will bring to our flagship TASMU Smart Qatar initiative. These contracts will play a big role in carrying our country to the future it deserves.”To support the development of TASMU’s Central Platform, MoTC has invited both local and international companies to bid for contracts. To support the local economy, TASMU has waived the performance and bid bonds for certified local startups and SMEs, to encourage them to participate in the tender process for the first eight projects. Leading international companies have also participated in the tender for the second wave of projects, which make up a total of 12 solutions. She added: “In line with our country’s direction to support the private sector, we’ve waved the performance and bid bonds for local starts up and SMEs. We are working on eliminating temporary and permanent insurance bonds for startups, to help them take part in governmental tenders. We hope that by being open about such information, we can showcase the Ministry’s transparency and dedication to support the local economy.”The first and second wave of TASMU’s projects that will be implemented in 2020 includes; real-time crowd and transportation management, intelligent road signage, national food security analytics, digital shipping guide, virtual physician consultation services, mobile clinics, active living index, and more.TASMU is committed to enhancing the quality of life for the people of Qatar by addressing real world and relevant use cases focused on user journey’s through its five priority sectors. The initiative brings together government entities, local SMEs, large multinational companies, research and academic institutes, startups, and NGOs to create tangible real-life applications that are contextual and relevant to Qatar’s current and future challenges, aspirations and needs.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

MoTC, Education Ministry launches Hour of Code programme at QITCOM 2019

DOHA- QATARThe Tasmu Coders’ Hour of Code programme,an initiative of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, was today launched by Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary for the Digital Society Development Sector at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and HE Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh bin Khalifa al-Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, on the sidelines of the Qatar Information Technology Conference & Exhibition (QITCOM 2019) which ended on November 1.The event also witnessed the presentation of prizes and certificates by HE Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education to the winners of the Tasmu Coders’ inaugural Codefest competition held for primary, preparatory and secondary schools’ students in Qatar on October 30 and 31. A total of 20 contestants each, competed in the Primary and Preparatory schools’ categories while 28 students contested in the secondary school category.Tasmu Coders is primarily about encouraging young people to engage in coding and the initiative includes Hour of Code, Codefest and Girls Can Innovate.Participants in the primary school category of Codefest were tested for speed and efficiency in the Scratch progamming language while the preparatory school category competitors tested their skills in Lego MindStorm Robotics kit. The secondary school category students, however, were tested for their dexterity with the Python programming language.Abdulrahman Mohammed from Saad bin Moath Boys School emerged winner in the Primary School category while Khaled Waleed School from Alzubair Bin Alawam Boys School and Yosra Sultan from Alkhansa Primary school for Girls School were the first and second runners-up respectively. For the Preparatory School category, Alzubair Nashwan from Abu Bakir Alsidek School came out tops while Abdullah Sherif also from Abu Bakir Alsidek School and Yamen Assem from Hamza Preparatory School emerged second and third respectively. Mazen Alsayed from Tareq Bin Zeyad School won the Secondary School category while Ahmed Yousef from Ali Bin Jassim emerged second and Ahmed Essam Aldin also from Ali Bin Jassim School came third. Each of the winners were rewarded with trophies, certificates and prize money.Codefest, proposed to be an annual event, is a national competition designed to create a platform for young minds to tap into their ICT knowledge and skills. The goal of the competition is to foster and promote interests in digital technology among school children in line with TASMU’s vision of a Smart Qatar.The annual competition is planned to be the culminating event for the MoTC’s Hour of Code initiative, which is a series of events repeated in different schools that is aimed at promoting coding as a key skill of the future within the school and the wider community. Hour of Code seeks to create opportunities for the young people in Qatar to explore their interest and develop their skills in coding. Schools that volunteer to take part will be offered the opportunity to host a 2-hour event at their school in the presence of local media. Children will undertake one hour of coding as a staged event alongside others who will be part of the program e.g. the school principle, a VIP Ambassador, a young Qatari Role Model and school teachers.For the initiative, two new schools will be selected every month to participate in the initiative which runs throughout the academic calendar. Each selected school will be assigned a young Qatari Role Model, who will play a vital role in connecting the school with the Ambassador, and act as the Master of Ceremony during the Hour of Code event. The schools will then sign a pledge to commit to engaging a minimum number of students for at least one hour in coding activities. At the end of the year, the outstanding students are then invited to take part in the Codefest to be held annually.Commenting on the occasion, Her Excellency Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary for the Digital Society Development Sector at the Ministry of Transport and Communications, said: “The Ministry is delighted with the success of the first edition of the Codefest competition as well as the increasing interest in the Hour of Code initiative. It is gratifying to see our young programmers displaying their skills at this competition which is in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030 of building a diversified knowledge-based economy that is predicated on developing the skills of the people. We believe that this competition will aid in generating more interest in coding activities among our young ones as well as helping them in taking up IT as a career choice.”Meanwhile, the finals of the Girls Can Innovate competition, which involved four shortlisted group of girls pitching ideas for innovative mobile apps, was also held on the day with the group comprising Rawda Alhor from Carnegie Mellon University and Muneera Al Baker from Albayan Secondary School who showcased the "Kashkha" app, a one-stop shop app for abaya and several branded clothes, emerging the winners.Girls Can Innovate is aimed at stimulating innovation and creativity in girls, aged 15-22, to produce digital solutions to problems facing their communities in specific areas. The competitions, held in September and October, were focused on seven categories: Fintech Applications, E-agriculture, E-health and Smart water management, Digital Services, Road Safety, and Rural Productivity. The winners of the September and October competitions competed for the QITCOM Girls Can Innovate prize by presenting their projects to a panel of judges at QITCOM. The second place went to Qatar University's Anjoud Al Rumaihi, Batool Al Dehneen and Noor Khalafy, who presented QFarmers app, a delivery app for fresh and packed food products.The other two ideas pitched at the event were "Mwaidi", a medical appointment booking app presented by Alaa Sobhy, Basma Khalid, Mariam Abdulmohsein and Ayah Mohammed, all from Rawdat Rashid Girls School, and "Uninf" - an app offering information on universities and faculties for students to choose their major courses and learn more about it before signing up, presented by Lulwa Al Merri, Salmah Al Merri, Wafaa Al Merri and Alanoud Al Merri also from Rawdat Rashid Girls School.The competition comes as part of the International Girls Day 2019 celebration, an initiative launched by the International Telecoms Union (ITU) in 2011 to enable girls around the world to leverage their interest in ICT and pursue studies and careers in STEM fields.

Friday, November 1, 2019

PM Launches “Sustainability and Development” Phase of Better Connections Program

DOHA- QATARQatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister, HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, launched the Sustainability and Development phase of the Better Connections Program, which provides IT facilities and tools to migrant workers to engage them in the digital era and help them improve their ways of life.The launch, which happened on the sidelines of the Qatar Information Technology Conference & Exhibition (QITCOM 2019), themed “Safe, Smart Cities” from 29th October to 1st November at the Qatar National Convention Center, was witnessed by the Minister of Transport and Communications (MoTC), HE Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, and the Minister of Administrative Development, Labour & Social Affairs (ADLSA), HE Yousuf Mohamed Al Othman Fakhroo.By completing this phase, the program has established 1,676 ICT facilities equipped with more than 16,000 computers in migrant workers’ accommodations. The program has exceeded its target of 1,500 ICT facilities by more than 10%.During the event, and as part of the expansion phase of the ‘Better Connections’ program, MoTC signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) with Qatar Foundation and Waseef Asset Management. The MoUs were signed by H.E. Ms. Reem Al Mansoori, Assistant Undersecretary for Digital Society Development at MoTC, and Mr. Mr. Abdulla Jobara S Al Romaihi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Waseef. Qatar Foundation, was represented by Mr. Stephen Briggs, Executive Director, Health, Safety, Security and Environment Department.During the Sustainability and Development phase, which runs for a 3-year term, technical support will be provided to the IT facilities set up in the initial phases. In addition, 1,000 new pieces of digital content will be created and introduced through the ‘Hukoomi’ site. This content will be compiled and translated in the top 5 most spoken languages of migrant workers in Qatar.The program will provide training for up 50,000 workers, enabling them to transfer digital knowledge to their colleagues in an on-going learning process. Additionally, brand new smart phones will be offered to the participants at affordable prices to enable them make use of technology and be part of the digital evolution in Qatar and the world.Started as a pilot project in 2013 and officially launched in 2015, the Better Connections program is a groundbreaking national digital inclusion initiative for migrant workers in Qatar aimed at providing them with free access to the internet, computers, online services and training at their accommodation.Each Better Connections facility is equipped with 10 computers with Microsoft licenses, Vodafone Wifi internet connection, furniture and other equipment needed to facilitate learning and communicating. Over 1.5 million workers have had the opportunity to learn and access digital technology since the inauguration of the program.With the active support of its partners, the Better Connections program enables migrant workers to gain an understanding of the benefits online technologies have to offer, while providing them with basic ICT training, and introduce them to social media platforms to help in keeping in touch with family and friends in their home countries. Training is conducted over weekends, while surveys are conducted pre, post, and after a period of six months to measure the impact the program makes in their lives.Participants include the workers themselves, site supervisors who are representatives of the companies participating in the program; and over 1000 volunteer trainers from MoTC and Reach Out to Asia (ROTA). At the end of the trainings, the 20,000 trained “Digital Champions” (workers who displayed the highest level of understanding of the program) are then selected to cascade information to their peers. To ensure the program’s sustainability, 18,000 computers were donated by government entities and private organizations in Qatar. The devices are then refurbished through the Green Computers Club an initiative established within high schools and the local community in Qatar. E-waste resulting from the refurbishing process is professionally managed by Alhaya Enviro, one of the program partners, according to international best practices and environmental standards.The Better Connections program, is proudly supported by various partners including Vodafone, Microsoft, Reach Out To Asia (ROTA), Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI), Alhaya Enviro among others.