CITC Implements Regulatory Framework to Beef up Cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
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CITC Implements Regulatory Framework to Beef up Cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia

A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)
A general view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (AFP)

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) on Saturday announced the implementation of a regulatory framework to beef up cybersecurity in the Kingdom.

The “cybersecurity regulatory framework” for service providers in the communications, IT, and postal (services) sector aims to raise the security levels of service providers.

It aims to ensure the implementation of adequate cybersecurity measures according to the best international practices.

In a statement, CITC said the regulatory framework contains a comprehensive set of cybersecurity requirements and controls that will contribute to regulating the communications, IT and postal service sectors.

The framework ensures an increase in the level of confidence in the integrity of the infrastructure of service providers, and the application of best practices to develop appropriate cybersecurity measures.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Province Municipality has presented, through the Municipal Investment Portal "FORAS", new investment opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs.

Mayor of the Eastern Province Fahad Al Jubeir noted that these opportunities fall under a package of 44 investment opportunities in various cities and provinces.

Undersecretary for Investments at the Eastern Province Municipality Eng. Hamdan Al-Aradi said that there are significant changes in the provisions of the regulation on disposing of municipal real estate, both in terms of improving contractual terms, by increasing the contract period from 25 to 50 years and reducing bank guarantees from 100 to 25 percent.

Aradi indicated that optimal utilization of municipal real estate was empowered by investing in public parks within two years of adopting the scheme instead of five years, which would increase the number of parks, raise the standard of residential neighborhoods and improve quality of life.



Google, Volkswagen Partner on Smartphone AI Assistant

People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. (Reuters)
People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. (Reuters)
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Google, Volkswagen Partner on Smartphone AI Assistant

People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. (Reuters)
People walk next to a Google logo during a trade fair in Hannover Messe, in Hanover, Germany, April 22, 2024. (Reuters)

Alphabet’s Google is providing key capabilities for an artificial intelligence assistant for Volkswagen drivers in a smartphone app, part of Google's strategy to win business by offering tools to build enterprise AI applications.

Consumers can ask Volkswagen's in-app assistant questions like "How do I change a flat tire?" or point their phone cameras at vehicle dashboards to receive relevant information.

The AI assistant draws on Google's Gemini large language models, programs that can understand and generate predictive responses to human language, and cloud computing capacity. The VW tool was designed by adding data such as Volkswagen owner’s manuals and YouTube videos on vehicle maintenance to Gemini.

Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian told Reuters that the product required overcoming technical hurdles to multimodality, the ability to process different data types such as text, images and videos.

"The problem looks superficially simple, but it’s technically very complex," Kurian said. "Most people think what we built is a speech-to-text translation system that then looks up a manual. Absolutely not."

The AI assistant is free and available to about 120,000 owners of Volkswagen’s Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport models. It will roll out by early next year to other cars from model year 2020 and later.

Corporate adoption of generative AI could alter the lucrative cloud computing market, where Google places third in terms of market share behind Amazon and Microsoft . Most companies are still searching for applications that users will find practical.

Cloud computing is a growing business segment for Google, accounting for $33 billion of the firm's $307 billion in overall revenue in 2023.

AI solutions have driven billions in revenue this year, the company has said, though it declined to disclose more precise figures.

Volkswagen declined to give details about usage for its AI assistant so far.