Page 120 - SAMENA Trends - February-March 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

qa, CRA’s Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram accounts @CRAqatar, fewer than 29 percent use post-paid connections. Broadband
CRA’s Mobile App “Arsel”, or by filling CRA’s complaint form on the connections ranging from 3G to 5G covers 87 percent of the
website www.cra.gov.qa. (March 14, 2021) zawya.com population. Meanwhile, Google Chrome recorded a 68.3 percent
share of web traffic, a year-on-year increase of 8.6 percent, the
Qatar has ranked number one globally in Internet Adoption report said. Safari 16.8 percent, Firefox (1.3%), (Samsung Internet
according to ‘The Global State of Digital 2021' report released by 3.6%), Microsoft Edge (2.4%), Opera (1.4%), and Internet Explorer
Hootsuite. The report features in-depth profiles of more than 230 (0,7%), other web browsers with 5.7 percent complete the list.
countries and territories around the world. With a population of Recently, the mobile Internet speed in Qatar was ranked the
2.91 million in January 2021, over 99 percent of Qatar's population fastest in the world in December 2020, according to the Speedtest
live in urban areas, and 2.88 million Internet users were recorded Global Index results. The country has been ranked among the
in Qatar in January 2021, an increase of 29,000 between 2020 top five countries globally in 2020 and has won several laurels in
and 2021, the report said. Other countries with 99% Internet Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in 2020. One
adoption include Bahrain, Iceland, Kuwait, Norway, and the UAE. of the main highlights was the recognition by the World Economic
The Hootsuite report also stated that Qatar has 2.87 million social Forum. In December last year, the country was ranked second
media users, equivalent to 98.8 percent of the total population in the Arab world and ninth globally in ICT adoption as per the
as of January 2021. Qatar's mobile connections increased by Global Competitiveness Report Special Edition 2020 report by the
35,000 (+0.8%) between January 2020 and January 2021, raising World Economic Forum. Qatar has also invested substantially in
the connections to 4.67 million and 160.6% of the population. 5G technology, allowing peak Internet connection speed to reach
The mobile connection figures are shown to exceed the total 1Gbps. The 5G rollout has also accelerated the development of
population because many people use several mobile connections. a more comprehensive communications infrastructure in Qatar.
Over 70 percent of the population use pre-paid connections, while (March 9, 2021) menafn.com

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Cabinet approval for the establishment of Digital and expanded services to include job searches, distant learning,
Government Authority (DGA) proves the Kingdom’s commitment traffic, passport, civil status and digital payments. “The authority
to becoming a leading digital economy, experts said. This will will simplify and facilitate the procedures (of provided services),
be achieved by adopting digital transformation in government diversify communication channels and tools, and support the
services on a par with international standards, according to use of digital applications by government agencies, such using
Mohammed Khurram Khan, a professor of cybersecurity at King government digital cloud, sharing data platform and managing
Saud University, Riyadh. “The newly approved authority will human resources,” said Al-Obaidy. He noted that the creation of
play an instrumental role in creating digital interactions, online the authority comes at a time when countries are changing to
platforms and electronic services between citizens to government, digital economies and transformation, and Saudi Arabia aims to
government to citizens, and government to businesses,” he told be a leader in this new world of digital governance. Abdullah Al-
Arab News. “Consequently, it will unify and improve the efficiency Swaha, minister of communications and information technology
of government departments by providing transparent, secure and chairman of the National Digital Transformation Unit, said
and cost-effective services.” The authority will help prepare that the authority opens up new horizons in digital government
a national e-government strategy, and organize the work of services through proactive and integrated digital services. DGA
digital government, including platforms, websites, services and is responsible for building the national capabilities specialized in
e-government networks. Khan said that the step highlights digital government to adopt and enable modern technologies, in
the Kingdom’s determination to have an integrated digital addition to adopting policies related to the authority’s activities,
government with harmonized policies, strategies and regulations. plans, programs and projects necessary for its implementation.
Osama Ghanem Al-Obaidy, an adviser and law professor at the The minister also said that the authority will raise the efficiency
Institute of Public Administration in Riyadh, told Arab News: of government digital business models and develop the talent of
“The establishment of the DGA is a major step toward improving government employees. (March 13, 2021) arabnews.com
and enhancing digital services provided by various government
agencies.” He added that the authority will increase the efficiency The Communications and Information Technology Commission
of e-services, which will augment the return on government (CITC) launched the "Game Mode" initiative, with the aim of
investment in digital services. “This comes in line with Saudi enhancing Saudi Arabia’s booming gaming sector. This comes
Vision 2030, which aims to improve the Kingdom’s ranking to within the framework of CITC’s work to encourage healthy
be among the top five countries in e-governance by 2030 and its competition among telecom operators to provide the best
ranking in the government effectiveness index to to be among experience for gamers, raise the level of transparency in the market,
the top 20 countries,” Al-Obaidy said. He added that the Kingdom and enable investors and the public with key data and indicators
has achieved “tremendous strides” in the field of e-governance, on the sector’s performance. The "Game Mode" initiative includes

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