The digital transformation of the government is not only a cause, but an outcome of the change in society has been changing. In its main focus on Saudi Arabia’s Digital Vision 2030, the government has initiated and encouraged a thriving growth of Saudi Society to become digitally visible. According to International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Saudi Arabia has started showing a substantive shift towards enhancing a digital society since 2018, with substantial development in 2019. Socio-economic development is strongly driven by research that is carried out with the promise of such dynamic change. This has radically changed all aspects of our lives, including knowledge dissemination, social interaction and inclusion, economic and work environments and modalities, including political activity. The major advantage of digital transformation regarding the information Society in Saudi Arabia benefited most at the start of the development plan for digital transformation in the education sector. Soon, development spread towards economic development according to G20 digital ministers, and adopted the recommendation to utilize leveraging digitalization for a resilient, strong, sustainable and inclusive recovery. For measuring the digital economy, the G20 Report for Digital Economy Task Force, during its presidency, Saudi Arabia is developing alternative (non-survey) sources of data, including private sector data sources and data gathered from the Internet.
The development of Saudi Arabia as an information society has been observed to advance after 2019. OECD has conducted research to measure the impact of the digital economy on society and not only on business. In fact, the digital transformation of Saudi Arabia has also been considered in its national digital strategy.
Saudi Arabia has laid the foundation for a bright future through the Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic framework to decrease the country’s dependence on oil and diversify the economy. An important part of the plan is to promote private and public partnerships actively and to develop services in sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, entertainment, recreation and tourism. Digital Society strongly thrives on developing an information society with rich digital transformation.
A remarkable manifestation of the progress of the digital society can be witnessed by examining how society is digitally involved in the welcoming and management of the Hajj pilgrims to Mecca.
Digital Knowledge
The Government has already established the Digital Government Authority (DGA) and Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA) to spearhead the digital transformation program. In a few years’ time, Saudi Arabia has introduced more than 30 cloud services, established 169 data centers and more than 175 datasets, successfully implemented 8 digital policies, aligned 130 government departments, registered more than 600,000 establishments with the platform, recorded more than 510 million transactions with a user base exceeding 22 million people.
Realizing the significance of resources for digital knowledge, DGA is considered not only a repository of technology reports and policy and action reports of projects and activities implemented or under implementation but also a national repository of highly specialized knowledge that can be used as guidelines as well as state-of-the-art digital transformation practices. These are present on the DGA Digital Knowledge site. For example, the document “Definitions Guide of Digital Platforms, Products, and Services”: 09 August 2022 (Document No.: DGA-1-2-2-211) sets out the terminology chosen for the digital channels, platforms, products and services in an effort to standardize concepts and emphasize clarity of their uses. This guide, in addition to being considered a national reference for defining terms related to digital channels, platforms, products and services that have been classified according to an approved national classification, serves as a source for individuals, government agencies and the private sector to use Using a unified terminology in the field of digital government.
As digital transformation progresses effectively, society is transforming as well. In addition to the economy, social development has been becoming more effective and measurable. Students in educational institutions, patients at medical centers and hospitals. This growing digital society of Saudi Arabia, mainly at the current stage in cities, is Improving citizens’ quality of life through advanced digital services, informing citizens about digital services and their benefits, and transitioning from digital consumption to digital production. The growth of the Saudi digital society is contributing very effectively to the enhancement of the digital nation concept: that of achieving excellence in providing government services, accelerating national digital projects for serving public and private sectors and activating digital policies and regulations. Knowledge has been growing in all directions: in size, content, sector and in type, becoming the main source of wealth for open data, big data and all kinds of information. This information constitutes an institutionalization of knowledge in society. The wealth of data is an indispensable core of the knowledge society. SDAIA has a successful platform for such knowledge. It hosts the National Data Bank (NDB), a constellation of interconnected robust national data platforms that aim at accelerating data literacy and instilling data as a common denominator for the digital economy in the Kingdom.
The platform has implemented an open data policy to facilitate access to information and data in light of digital acceleration. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking great systematic steps on the path of open data and free access, thus allowing it to contribute towards enhancing transparency in the implementation of government transactions, consolidating the principle of accountability within the government sector, and facilitating public evaluation and analysis of the content. Open data also helps to bridge the gap between the government sector and individuals.
Digital Skills Strategy and Programs for Public Sector
Several government authorities launched programs for skills development within the public sector:
QTech Digital Skills Program
The Digital Government Authority (DGA) launched the QTech Digital Skills Program to raise government digital capabilities in the technical field and digital transformation through developmental and cognitive programs aimed at building an effective digital society. The role of the program is to organize and empower training agencies with the aim of refining and building digital skills required by the government sector and developing promising talents that contribute to creating the future of digital government.
The Program offers a variety of qualitative programs in the areas of digital government transformation, emerging technologies, innovation, and data. In addition, it offers periodic workshops that introduce DGA products, providing beneficiaries with the latest information and insights on how to use these innovative services to improve their operations.
The Qtech Digital Skills Program helped more than 2300 government employees from more than 200 government entities to develop the digital skills they need to achieve sustainable development and beneficiary satisfaction by organizing more than 120 courses and 15 workshops.
Digital Skills Radar Initiative
The
Digital Government Authority (DGA) developed the
Digital Skills Radar initiative to support government entities with the latest and most essential digital skills, accelerating the digital transformation journey. The radar helps government entities identify their needs for these skills and develop plans for the workforce's development and recruitment in the digital sector. Additionally, the radar provides support channels for government entities to obtain information about programs and organisations offering education and training in digital skills at all levels.
The radar includes a guide to digital skills that facilitate digital transformation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ensuring that these skills are up-to-date and aligned with emerging technologies and the local and global digital economy.
The
Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) established the
SDAIA Academy, which aimed to support and develop national competencies in the field of data and AI by leading many promising and diverse programs and activities in cooperation with leading local, regional, and global bodies. The current programs include the National Capacity Building Program for Data Science Specialists and the Data and AI Awareness Program.
The
Communication, Space and Technology Commission (CST) established the
Digital Regulatory Academy (DRA) as a specialised academy in digital regulations in partnership with leading international institutions aimed to develop human cadres in digital regulations, enabling the Kingdom’s transformation into a digital society and improving the quality of various services provided to beneficiaries.
National Strategies and Programs on Innovative and Disruptive Technologies
Vision 2030 encompasses the Saudi government’s strategic framework for the future, focusing on a vibrant society, a thriving economy, and an ambitious nation. It sets numerous goals and reform strategies to ensure the long-term economic success of the Kingdom. Several strategies, initiatives, and programs were adopted to promote innovative and disruptive technologies. Two essential strategies on national level sets the strategic objectives focused on innovative and disruptive technologies:
The
ICT Sector Strategy 2023 encompasses several key technologies and sets a target of 50% to increase the size of the IT market and emerging technologies. The Strategy identifies the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Blockchains and Robotics as key disruptive technologies essential to achieve the Strategy's vision: Building tomorrow's digital foundations for a connected and innovative Saudi Arabia. The
Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) is responsible for implementing the strategy.
The
Digital Government Strategy 2023-2030 makes specific reference to the use of emerging technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, Blockchains, 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) were identified as key Technology drivers of the Digital Government Strategy defined in
Strategic Objective 6.5 Promote Green Government, Innovation and Use of Emerging Technologies. The institution that implements the Digital Government Strategy is the
Digital Government Authority (DGA).
Other initiatives, programs and projects include:
Artificial intelligence (AI): The
Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) and the
National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) were established to drive the national agenda for Data & AI to elevate the KSA as a global leader in the elite league of data-driven economies. The Kingdom has adopted a
National Strategy for Data & AI to become a global leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and data by 2030 to achieve these goals. The objectives include training 20,000 specialists and experts, a minimum of 300 active startups and attracting $20 billion in national and foreign investment in data and AI. Additional information about the regulatory framework, current initiatives, and projects can be found at the following
link.
Robotics: very high on the Kingdom's Government agenda in line with the efforts, initiatives, regulations, and institutional framework for Artificial Intelligence, IoT, and Big Data. The Kingdom has already established dedicated institutions, such as the
Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA), the
National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCAI) and the
National Data Management Office (NDMO), as well as adopted a regulatory framework for the use of robotics and automation (
National Data Governance Interim Regulations,
Internet of Things (IoT) Regulatory Framework). Saudi Arabia has already placed robotics on the agenda for government agencies and government-led organizations. For example, the Ministry of Health has served over 200.000 Pilgrims with Healthcare Centers in the Holy Sites in Hajj Season 2019 by
introducing robots for connecting doctors in Riyadh and Jeddah to the patients. Also, in 2018, the
first robot got its first job at a government entity in Jeddah to contribute to serving customers through an electronic evaluation system and the delivery of messages to visitors to exhibitions and activities of the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC).
Blockchains: The
Digital Government Strategy 2023-2030 establishes innovation hubs focused on channelling resources towards applications of specific disruptive technologies such as Blockchain, IoT, and 5G. The adoption of Blockchain technologies is acknowledged as an opportunity to build an advanced shared services infrastructure. Besides the strategic objectives, Saudi Arabia has already launched several blockchain projects for public service delivery in the
financial health,
education,
culture, and
trade sectors. Additional information about the regulatory framework, current initiatives, and projects can be found at the following
link.
5G: the growth of 5G mobile services in the country plays a crucial part in the KSA’s plan to modernize and digitize its economy as part of Vision 2030. The disruptive capabilities of 5G pave the way for new innovative and disruptive applications that the current LTE technology cannot support. Some of the widely promoted examples within the KSA include industrial automation and utility services, vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure transportation, home automation, and AR/VR. Saudi Arabia has also adopted the
National Spectrum Strategy 2025 to foster commercial and innovative uses (Drive 5G ) and the
5G Spectrum Outlook for Commercial and Innovative Use to provide transparency and predictability for all spectrum users in the Kingdom, providing spectrum users certainty over the amount of spectrum available in different bands and the terms and regulations governing access and usage. The Kingdom was ranked second among G20 countries in the allocation of frequency bands. This was due to the implementation of digital transformation by developing a
National Frequency Plan (NFP), contributing to the achievement of the 4th position globally in terms of 5G deployment, increasing internet speed by more than 400%, which improved the quality and speed of mobile internet services in the Kingdom, and improving the quality of telecom services provided to citizens by telecommunication operators. Additional information about the regulatory framework, current initiatives, and projects can be found at the following
link.
Internet of Things: The
Communication, Space and Technology Commission (CST) has adopted the
Internet of Things (IoT) Regulatory Framework to regulate the issues for the IoT service provisioning requirements, the requirement for obtaining CITC certification for IoT equipment, IoT identifiers which uniquely identify objects to simplify communications with, such as IP addresses, and data management requirements. Also, the Framework outlines other general regulations for IoT service providers, which include communication with end-users regarding the importance of the network and data security and recommendations to protect data. (CST) also has launched a
Regulatory Sandbox for delivery applications. The initiative is part of the authority's mandate to regulate and supervise the postal sector, including licensing and regulating delivery apps operating in Saudi Arabia. This regulatory sandbox has been specifically crafted to support, enable, and sustain the growth of the Kingdom's delivery app ecosystem for the benefit of all sector stakeholders, including consumers, producers, and delivery drivers. Specifically, it aims to reduce the time to market for apps and potentially lower the cost of service delivery. It will also allow app designers to test innovative products and services in a controlled environment. By doing so and providing better access to financing, (CST) will help to develop an ecosystem conducive to innovation.
Public Sector Innovation Programs
The Innovation and Emerging Technologies Center is positioned as the catalyst and future forum driving innovation and emerging technologies, enabling the government to become future oriented. Its aim is to be the national catalyst to enable innovation and shape the future of digital government. It should empower government entities to deliver innovative solutions through accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies, envisioning futuristic solutions and building digital capabilities. To achieve these objectives, the Center has launched several programs, such as:
The Digital Government Authority (DGA) launched the GovTech Program to pave the way for an innovative government future by supporting all government agencies in adopting emerging technologies in their products and services. The Program's aim is to:
The Program outcomes include:
GovTech aspires to drive the adoption of emerging technology to solve government challenges. The Program rely and leverages a comprehensive ecosystem of stakeholders. Technologies included in the program include Robotics, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things.
Q-Tech Professionals aims to develop government employees’ skills in information technology and digital transformation to achieve the vision and values of the digital government. The program consists of several development courses that include local training, followed by international training in tech trends topics within the top 100 international universities. Currently, three program tracks are available:
Government Product Course: designed to enable learning on advanced technologies for integrating and developing products at different levels. GPM will enable the trainee to gain a deep insight into how to design, develop and manage internationally competitive government products.
Data Course: aimed to enable the learning of advanced technologies and tools used in data analytics. It will enable trainees to expand their programming skills and statistical knowledge to solve analytically complex problems.
Innovation Course: intended to develop and upskill the trainees to find new solutions to the challenges they are facing. It also aims to encourage innovative ideas, which contribute to improving the user experience of digital government services.
Providing digital advisory services to government agencies to accelerate the digital transformation of the government and adopt innovative solutions with over 520 services to government entities and 6 brief studies.
Empowering government entities to adopt the concept of digital inclusivity and engage them in designing innovative products that cater to the needs of people with disabilities and the elderly, with over 48 included beneficiaries and over 3 accessibility tools and technologies.
Encouraging government entities to embrace innovative solutions by enhancing digital competitiveness nationally and globally and awarding prizes for the best government digital initiatives in the Digital Government Awards, over 200 entities participated and 500 applicants.
The Center also has its own premises to be the catalyst and tech-supported environment for all government innovation.
Government entities focused on Public Sector Innovation
To promote public sector innovation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, two government entitles were established:
Research, Technology and Innovation Authority were established to encourage and support the Public Sector Innovation, RDI sector, coordinating the activities of institutions and scientific research centers, proposing policies, legislation, and regulations, and providing sector funding. For more information about the initiatives launched by the Authority, please visit the following
link.
National Technology Development Program (NTDP) is a national program that contributes to developing the technology ecosystem in the Kingdom and increasing its effectiveness by driving sustainable growth using different interventions and support mechanisms complementing efforts made by other stakeholders. The program also plays an essential role in enhancing all enablers that influence the technology market growth, aiming to make the Kingdom an attractive regional center for innovation and investment in the sector. For more information about the initiatives and programs launched or supported by the NTDP, please visit the following
link.
Also, the Digital Government Authority (DGA), Communication, Space and Technology Commission (CST) and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) launched initiatives and programs to support both digital innovations within the public sector and partnerships between the public and private sector in creating and testing innovative solutions.
GovTech Startup Support Policy and Programs
Saudi Government has adopted a
Regulation to support local GovTech startups in Saudi Arabia. The aim is to support and boost the local SMEs and companies in their GovTech initiatives and ideas.
As part of the Government efforts, the Government has established the
National Technology Development Program (NTDP) as a national program that contributes to enhancing and ensuring the effectiveness of technology ecosystem by achieving a sustainable development using various components in collaboration with the stakeholders. The NTDP aims to:
Encourage and supports national companies in the IT and emerging technologies sector, locally and globally, to increase its local market share and global exports;
Encourage and support the local private sector to further embrace IT solutions, initiatives, applications, and services, including emerging technologies, that would result in developing the technology sector;
Attracts global and local companies that support innovation and research centers that are relevant to the IT sector; and,
Contributes to the localization of the IT sector, including emerging technologies, and to increases the local content in the sector.
The National Technology Development Program (NTDP) launched several initiatives and programs to support the GovTech startups in Saudi Arabia. Some of these programs include:
Grow your Tech Business: enables technology startups and SMEs to achieve growth by providing a guarantee of up to SR15 million to financing provided by the involved banks and financing entities.
Lendtech: aims to enable beneficiary companies to obtain financing with concessional conditions suitable for technology companies that banks and financial institutions do not accept to provide support for, with a total capital of SR 360 million.
MVPLAB: support and enable innovative technology entrepreneurs to develop their projects, accelerate growth and launch technology business models, which aims to create 1,000 emerging technology companies in partnership with several partners in the entrepreneurial field.
NextEra: aims to offer financial incentives to individuals and tech companies to accelerate the development and innovation activities for deep and emerging technology products.
Boost: empowers and supports tech entrepreneurs to build their experiences by incubating them with partners, supporting them in establishing their own companies, and reducing the financial risks of fully dedicating their time to entrepreneurial projects.
RELOCATE: aims to incentives global tech startups and multinational companies by facilitating their access and providing a range of attractive incentives needed by these tech companies to relocate to Saudi Arabia and then to expand and scale within the Saudi and regional market successfully.
Tech_Crew: aims to support tech SMEs through two tracks: attract Saudi tech talents by providing salary subsidies and sustain them by providing financial incentives.
VentureDebt: financial solution provided to tech startups to meet their expansion and growth requirements with a flexible debt structure.
Bridge: aims to support high-growth startups/companies to grow their business globally by providing multiple financial subsidies to help them expand their business to the global markets.
Connect: aims to support local tech SMEs by qualifying them to meet the requirements of large tech projects and assist large tech companies in dealing with local Tech SMEs.
Accelerators Enablement Initiative: The initiative seeks to enable local and global business accelerators to adopt international best practices based on quality standards, to enable entrepreneurs to come up with distinctive business models by providing financial support
Lead IT: An initiative that aims to prepare and qualify employees for leadership positions In small and medium tech companies by offering specialized training programs.
Technology Champions: A national program aimed to develop and enable the acceleration and growth of local medium-large tech companies to become leading champions within their respective tech domains locally and in the region, through providing a comprehensive set of services and enablers.
AI.M: A national initiative that aspires to stimulate a comprehensive system of innovation in the field of artificial intelligence and contribute to strengthening the Kingdom's leadership role regionally and globally in artificial intelligence within the next 5 years.
Fund Swift: A program that aims to provide bridge-financing for startups that closed early-stage investments to be repaid upon VC capital deployment.
Source Tech: An initiative that aims to support outsourcing services in the information technology sector in various regions of the Kingdom by enabling and qualifying technical competencies to provide outsourcing services competitively locally and regionally.
Transform : An initiative that aims to support technology companies in adopting modern technologies in cloud computing services by providing financial support of up to one million Saudi riyals.
Fuel: An initiative that is designed to support VC funds investing in deep tech and emerging tech startups from Pre-seed to Pre-IPO stage.
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