Saudi Arabia’s Digital Experience Maturity Index Rise to 85%

The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia’s Digital Experience Maturity Index Rise to 85%

The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi capital, Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Digital Government Authority (DGA) announced the results of the Digital Experience Maturity Index 2024, where the index achieved a rate of (85.04%) at an “advanced” level. The Index included the evaluation of 39 digital platforms according to four main perspectives, which include 20 themes.
The perspectives included measuring beneficiary satisfaction by involving over 175,000 beneficiaries in assessing their digital experience. This also encompassed evaluating user experience, the mechanisms for handling complaints on digital platforms, and the technologies and tools that support these platforms.
Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, the Governor of the Digital Government Authority, explained that the Digital Experience Maturity Index aims to enhance beneficiary satisfaction, improve digital experiences, and strengthen engagement in alignment with international standards and best practices. The index also meets the strategic directions of the digital government, by supporting the achievement of its goals, improving the Kingdom’s standing in global indicators, and accelerating the pace of digital transformation.
He emphasized that the continuous rise in the index results reflects the significant efforts of government agencies in developing their digital platforms and services. Their ongoing contributions are instrumental in improving the quality of life, facilitating business operations, enhancing competitiveness, and increasing the efficiency of government functions, he stated.

The index increased by 4.36 percent compared to the previous cycle, and 39 platforms were included in the current year, compared to 24 platforms in 2023. More than 175,000 respondents participated in evaluating the platforms for this cycle, exceeding the number of participants in the previous cycle, which reached 134,000.

 

 

 



BP to Sell its US Onshore Wind Business

The logo of British multinational oil and gas company BP is displayed at their booth during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
The logo of British multinational oil and gas company BP is displayed at their booth during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
TT

BP to Sell its US Onshore Wind Business

The logo of British multinational oil and gas company BP is displayed at their booth during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo
The logo of British multinational oil and gas company BP is displayed at their booth during the LNG 2023 energy trade show in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, July 12, 2023. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/File Photo

British Petroleum (BP) plans to sell its US onshore wind energy business, it announced on Monday, saying the assets were not aligned with its growth plans.

BP said it will launch the sale process shortly for the wind assets, bp Wind Energy, which has interests in 10 operating onshore wind energy assets across seven US states, according to Reuters.

“We believe the business is likely to be of greater value for another owner,” William Lin, BP's executive vice president for gas and low carbon energy said in a statement.

Several offshore wind companies have cancelled or sought to renegotiate power contracts for planned US projects in the past year, citing soaring materials costs, high interest rates, and supply chain disruptions.

bp Wind Energy's assets, which have net total generating capacity of 1.3 gigawatts, are not aligned with BP's plans for growth in Lightsource bp, the London-listed company said.

BP announced in November it would take full ownership of Lightsource bp, Europe's largest solar energy developer.

The deal to build up its renewable energy capacity is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

It said on Monday it would integrate its onshore renewable power development into Lightsource bp.

The move also comes as BP's new CEO Murray Auchincloss has imposed a hiring freeze and paused new offshore wind projects as he places a renewed emphasis on oil and gas amid investor discontent over its energy transition strategy, sources at the company told Reuters in June.

It marks a stark reversal from the direction the CEO's predecessor Bernard Looney took to rapidly move away from fossil fuels.

This has weighed on BP's shares as returns from renewables shrank, while profits from oil and gas soared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Last month, Danish renewable energy group Orsted reported 3.9 billion Danish crowns ($581.59 million) in impairment losses for the second quarter, partly due to delays in a major US offshore wind project.