The Riyadh municipality is working with the US technology giant IBM to implement blockchain technology in government and payment services, the ITP.net reported on Wednesday.
For future projects involving blockchain, IBM will work with Elm, the company that acts as a technology partner in Riyadh municipality. Together with local authorities, the two companies will work to expand digital applications, thus improving the quality of municipal services.
Weiterlesen: SA: Riyadh and IBM Implement Blockchain Solutions for the Municipality
Interview: Abdullah Alswaha
Q: How will the planned digitisation policies impact the Kingdom’s citizens and businesses?
ABDULLAH ALSWAHA: Saudi Arabia’s ICT sector has come a long way over the past 15 years. However, neither the industry’s potential, nor its role as an enabler have been fully realised as of yet. This represents a major opportunity. Both citizens and business now largely depend on digital applications for their welfare and competitiveness. Vision 2030 and the National Transformation Programme 2020 (NTP) have set the bar high for the role of digitisation. Digitisation will enhance consumer welfare through more efficient, transparent and user-friendly government services. In addition, it will enable policymaking participation, timely feedback on state services and reduce the time spent on administrative procedures.
Minister of Telecommunications and IT Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawaha has directed all mobile service providers to ensure the availability of local roaming services and network sharing in remote areas.
Al-Sawaha issued the directive based on citizens’ requests after his inspection visit to communities in the Hejer region and various governorates across the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia ICT Minister Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawaha has directed all mobile service providers to ensure the availability of local roaming services and network sharing in remote areas, Arab News reported. Al-Sawaha issued the directive based on public feedback after his inspection visit to communities in the Hejer region and various governorates in the country.
The minister is also the chairman of the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), which said that mobile service providers in remote areas must provide local roaming service within a maximum period of 60 days, to enable users to get reception in villages, irrespective of the service provider. They are also required to provide quality service to these areas, in addition to continuity of service and easy access to all basic telecommunications and Internet services.
Saudi Arabia and South Korea have announced the establishment of a ministerial level committee to boost cooperation, enhance business networking and ensure sustainable support for the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 economic reforms.
The Saudi-Korea Vision 2030 Committee “focuses on supporting business ventures between the two countries,” Youngjae Kim, diplomat and negotiator at Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Saudi Arabia, told Arab News on Tuesday.
Weiterlesen: Saudi-Korea Vision 2030 Committee launched with access to 400 companies