GovTech Prize And Global Best M-Gov Award Winners Honoured At The World Governments Summit Dubai
Leaders and innovators at the World Governments Summit (WGS 2026) in Dubai saw H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum honour winners of the GovTech Prize and the Global Best M-Gov Award, recognising global projects that improve government services through artificial intelligence, mobile technology, and secure digital platforms.
WGS 2026 gathers more than 60 heads of state and government, over 500 ministers, and 6,250 participants. Delegates include government leaders, technology experts, scientists, futurists, major international companies, entrepreneurs, and innovators. The awards highlight how governments worldwide use digital tools to improve efficiency, access, and user experience in public services.
The GovTech Prize recognised projects that improve core public services. Germany’s Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Development received the ‘Best Use of AI in Government Services’ award for an AI-based platform that manages federal infrastructure permits. The same prize also highlighted Denmark’s National Digital Post and Rwanda’s ‘IremboGov’ as runner-up projects.
Germany’s winning system uses generative and agent AI to speed up approval for federal infrastructure projects. It converts legal documents into machine-readable rules, yet keeps final oversight with human officials. The platform offers full traceability for each decision, reduces repeat information requests, and cuts processing time by 90%, supporting energy and infrastructure deployment.
Denmark’s National Digital Post project earned the ‘Best Simplification in Government Services’ award and ranked as GovTech Prize runner-up. The platform supports secure, legally binding electronic messages between authorities, residents, and businesses. It reached a 95% usage rate among adults, with mandatory access for everyone aged 15 and above.
Use of National Digital Post produced 250 million messages in 2025 alone, showing strong adoption. Customer satisfaction reached 81%, while firms reported 60% satisfaction. The system forms a core layer of Denmark’s digital government infrastructure, replacing many paper communications and reducing the need for in-person visits or postal correspondence.
Rwanda’s ‘IremboGov’ platform received the ‘Best Government Service in the World’ award and placed as GovTech Prize second runner-up. ‘IremboGov’ offers a single gateway to more than 240 public services. It integrates e-wallet payments and is designed to support different communities, including users with limited traditional access.
The ‘IremboGov’ system processes nearly 500,000 requests monthly, with about 80% of transactions completed online. Service completion times dropped sharply, from five days to around two hours. The platform helped save over 1.5 billion working hours and supports more than 7,000 digital entrepreneurs, improving productivity across many government agencies.
Global Best M-Gov Award recognising mobile-first GovTech Prize solutions
The Global Best M-Gov Award, also presented by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed, focused on mobile-based services. The ‘Bakame AI’ team from Texas Christian University in the USA secured first place. The project provides educational material for communities with limited smartphone access, using interactive voice systems over existing mobile networks.
‘Bakame AI’ operates via toll-free numbers and does not require an internet connection or data access. Users interact with voice menus to receive tailored educational content. This approach targets regions where smartphones or broadband remain rare, offering a low-cost entry point into digital learning and information services.
The ‘Your Voice’ application from Lao Hong University in Vietnam took second place in the Global Best M-Gov Award. The AI-driven app converts sign language into text and speech, and reverses the process in real time. It relies on computer vision tools and 3D animated avatars to support two-way communication.
Third place went to the ‘Spoon Share’ initiative from the Deogiri Institute of Engineering and Management Studies in India. The platform connects people and businesses with surplus food to nearby communities in need. By matching supply and demand in real time, it aims to reduce food waste and support food security.
Together, the GovTech Prize and Global Best M-Gov Award at WGS 2026 demonstrate how AI, mobile services, and integrated digital platforms are reshaping government operations. The recognised projects show measurable gains in processing speed, inclusion, and user satisfaction, offering reference points for future public-service innovation in the Middle East and globally.
With inputs from WAM
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