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Saudi Arabia Bolsters Digital Infrastructure with New Communications, IT Law

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission has participated in the inauguration ceremony of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission has participated in the inauguration ceremony of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Bolsters Digital Infrastructure with New Communications, IT Law

Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission has participated in the inauguration ceremony of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission has participated in the inauguration ceremony of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022 (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Keeping pace with Saudi Arabia’s new direction towards innovation and the digital economy, the Saudi Cabinet, chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, approved on Tuesday, the Communications and Information Technology (IT) law.

The new law is meant to reinforce the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure.

Communications and Information Technology Minister Abdullah Alswaha said that the ICT law is an important step in consolidating Saudi Arabia's position as a center for technology, innovation and leadership, and a key driver for accelerating the growth of the digital economy, empowering entrepreneurs and enhancing the Kingdom's competitiveness.

Besides the telecommunications sector, the law focuses on the information technology sector.

Now, it includes broadly and more accurately the main and subsidiary telecommunications and information technology sectors, which include digital infrastructure, emerging technologies, e-governance, and enabling applications and services in various sectors.

Moreover, the Cabinet ratified an indicative model of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) and peer entities in the other countries to launch the electronic link to verify the passengers’ compliance with COVID-19 health precautions.

SDAIA chairman will be delegated to hold talks with counterparts in other countries regarding a draft MoU, sign it and refer the final signed copy to proceed with formal procedures.

In other news, Saudi Arabia’s Governor of the Communications and Information Technology Commission Mohammed Al-Tamimi has participated in the inauguration ceremony of the World Summit on the Information Society Forum 2022, which is held in Geneva under the theme “ICTs for Well-Being, Inclusion and Resilience.”

The Kingdom’s participation aims at enhancing its international status in the ICT sector, in addition to highlighting its efforts and achievements in issues to be discussed in the forum, where the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is considered a strategic partner to realize the goals of the summit and relevant Sustainable Development Goals and a main player in enhancing the culture of excellence and creativity in all fields related to ICT in the world.

Al-Tamimi, during a speech he delivered at the forum, highlighted the importance of sustainability for the ICT sector and the increasing need for it considering the accelerating challenges the world is witnessing.

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Three Saudi-Yemeni Companies Established in Energy, Telecom to Support Yemen's Reconstruction

The Saudi-Yemeni Business Council holds meeting in Makkah, announces strategic initiatives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi-Yemeni Business Council holds meeting in Makkah, announces strategic initiatives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Three Saudi-Yemeni Companies Established in Energy, Telecom to Support Yemen's Reconstruction

The Saudi-Yemeni Business Council holds meeting in Makkah, announces strategic initiatives (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi-Yemeni Business Council holds meeting in Makkah, announces strategic initiatives (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-Yemeni Business Council, part of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, announced six initiatives to boost trade and support Yemen’s economic development at a meeting in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
Over 300 Saudi and Yemeni investors attended, agreeing to establish three companies to help rebuild Yemen and improve its infrastructure.
The initiatives include upgrading border crossings to improve logistics and increase trade, currently valued at 6.3 billion riyals ($1.6 billion). Yemen’s exports to Saudi Arabia, worth only 655 million riyals ($174.6 million), highlight untapped potential in mining, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.
Key recommendations to enhance trade and support Yemen’s economic recovery include setting up quarantine facilities for Yemeni livestock and agricultural products to increase exports, as well as building smart food cities near border areas to improve food security and sustainable cooperation.
The Council urged action to address banking challenges faced by traders, suggesting reforms in Yemen’s financial sector and stronger ties with Saudi banks. It also proposed creating a club for Yemeni investors in Saudi Arabia to encourage joint projects and partnerships.
Three new Saudi-Yemeni companies will be established. One will invest $100 million in solar energy to provide sustainable electricity in Yemen. Another will focus on boosting telecommunications via Starlink satellite services. The third will organize events to promote Saudi products and support Yemen’s reconstruction.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Council President Dr. Abdullah bin Mahfouz emphasized the private sector’s critical role in stabilizing Yemen’s economy and society through investments that support development, create jobs, improve infrastructure, and promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
He stressed the importance of empowering Yemeni entrepreneurs and securing funding for reconstruction projects, encouraging public-private partnerships to execute large-scale initiatives under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.
The Makkah meeting ended with agreements between Saudi and Yemeni companies to develop key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Streamlined customs, improved logistics, and upgraded Yemeni ports and airports were also highlighted as priorities to facilitate trade.
Yemeni delegation leader Abdulmajid al-Saadi, praised Saudi Arabia’s new investment law, noting Yemeni investments in the Kingdom have reached 18 billion riyals ($4.8 billion), ranking third among foreign investors.