Page 95 - SAMENA Trends - January 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

with the aim of building and strengthening the infrastructure and reports and statistics on the allocation of frequency bands by
improving the quality of service so that modern technologies G-20 countries. The Kingdom was second after Japan ahead of
can be deployed and user experience be improved, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Canada, and the rest of
the number of towers that support fifth generation technologies G-20 countries as the total frequency bands allocated to provide
reaching 5,200 base towers in more than 30 cities around the communication services reached (1110) MHz. The International
Kingdom. This technology will contribute to providing digital Telecommunication Union (ITU) commended the kingdom’s
infrastructure for many innovative services in addition to regulation of the telecommunications and information technology
enabling the fourth industrial revolution and adopting emerging sector which achieved an advanced position in the indicators of
and modern technologies. These achievements also included global competitiveness as the Kingdom advanced (16) positions
the Kingdom’s second ranking in the list of G-20 countries for globally in this regard. (January 1, 2020) spa.gov.sa
the total allocation of frequency bands identified globally for the
provision of mobile communications services, and according to

United Arab Emirates

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) held a sets the road map for the sector during the next ten years. 2020 is
direct consultation session with its partners on the UAE ICT the year of preparation for the future, the year of Expo, the year of
and Telecom Policy. The session took the form of an interactive the 5G implementation, the year of implementation of the national
workshop during which the entities representatives exchanged cybersecurity strategy, and the year of the UAE ICT and Telecom
views and opinions on various aspects of the proposed policy. Policy “ H.E. Al Mansoori added: “The ICT and Telecom sector is
The workshop, which was held at the TRA Dubai, was chaired a dynamic and constantly changing sector. We have witnessed in
by H.E. Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori, TRA Director General. AL the past few years the great boom in this field such as the intensive
Mansoori delivered a welcome speech during which he stressed employment of robots, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology,
on the importance of government participation and team spirit to quantum computing, biotechnology, the Internet of things, 3D
provide an ICT policy that takes into account all relevant aspects printing, autonomous vehicles, and others. This policy comes at
in the telecommunications sector for the coming ten years (2020 - the right time, raising an important slogan: “a smart and happy
2031). The development of the policy is one of the tasks entrusted nation”. With your efforts, and all our cooperation, this policy
to TRA according to Federal Law No. 3 of 2003 (Telecom Law) and will be a great support to the preparations for the coming fifty
its amendments. Furthermore, TRA engages relevant government years, in implementation of the directives of our wise leadership.”
entities in developing and updating the policy based on the The UAE ICT and Telecom Policy reflects the UAE aspirations
principle of participation for the aim of supporting the national to maintain progress in the ICT sector, in order to continue the
goals in various sectors. The policy aims to draw a road map for successes achieved in this vital sector, as it has held many
ICT sector for the next ten years, including pillars and topics that advanced rankings in various regional and global indicators, which
require concerted efforts to reach the aimed goals and objectives, enhances economic and social growth and achieves happiness
in line with the aspirations of our wise leadership. The workshop and the welfare of society. The policy will contribute to achieving
discussed the results of TRA consultation launched on its website the vision and directions of the government in this vital sector
on the policy and its amendments. The opinions and ideas to reach a “smart and happy nation”. The UAE ICT and Telecom
submitted by several government and private entities to TRA were Policy includes the highlights of the policy, its mains pillars, the
compiled and discussed by the participants in the workshop, to be role of innovation and future foresight in the ICT sector, taking
considered in developing the UAE ICT and Telecom Policy, to keep into account the National Innovation Strategy and the Future
pace with the rapid changes in the vital ICT sector. The policy was Foresight Strategy. The UAE government emphasizes the pivotal
developed under the slogan “a smart and happy nation”, in line role of the ICT sector in the smart transformation of society, the
with the higher goals of the government to achieve happiness for strategy also highlights some future trends of the ICT sector.
everyone in the UAE, and to apply the concepts of smart cities in (January 20, 2020) zawya.com
the era of the fourth industrial revolution, artificial intelligence and
big data. This move also coincides with the beginning of 2020, the The Executive Team for Online Services Index (OSI), an indicator
year of preparation towards the next 50, as per the declaration of the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda, held its twenty-sixth
of out wise leadership. In his opening speech, H.E. Hamad meeting, under the slogan “Together towards the first place”.
Obaid Al Mansoor, TRA Director General, praised the team spirit The meeting, which is the first for 2020, was held at TRA Dubai
reflected in the participation of TRA partners in transforming office, headed by H.E. Salem Al Housani, Acting Deputy Director
policy into general consultation, to be the result of comprehensive General for Information and e-Government Sector and Head of the
community participation. He said: “This policy reflects the National OSI Executive Team, and attended by members of sub-
expectations of the UAE ICT sector in the UAE future journey, and teams representing various local government entities in the UAE.

95 JANUARY 2020