Page 117 - SAMENA Trends - October-December 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

of Digital Transition and the United Arab Emirates” Technology of information. The potential benefits of integrating AI solutions
Research Council—AI71’s parent organization—come together are significant. According to a PwC study, the adoption of AI could
to forge this new alliance. This initiative is a key component of potentially increase Africa’s GDP by $1.2 trillion by 2030, which
Morocco’s “Morocco Digital 2030” strategy, aimed at accelerating translates to a 5.6% GDP growth. This partnership not only aims
the country’s digital capabilities. By adopting AI71’s advanced AI to secure data but also to increase transparency and compliance
solutions, such as the “Falcon” system, Moroccan enterprises and with international standards, fostering an environment conducive
governmental bodies will gain access to state-of-the-art tools for to digital innovation and growth for Moroccan startups.
data management, ensuring enhanced security and confidentiality (October 17, 2024) www.meatechwatch.com

Oman

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) organizes 318,149. The number of subscriptions to Integrated Services
an auction for the special numbers of the Omani Qatari Digital Network (ISDN) channels decreased by 2.8%, totaling
Telecommunications Company (Ooredoo); containing 43 48,979, while public telephone numbers remained unchanged at
diamond numbers and 157 gold numbers. The auction was 6,801. Fixed wireless subscriptions also saw a decline of 25.6%,
launched on the company's website, noting that the bidding will amounting to 553. In terms of regional distribution, Muscat
continue until three o'clock on Tuesday, December 10, 2024. accounted for the largest share of fixed analogue telephone lines,
The Authority distributes the amounts collected from the sale holding 48.45%, followed by Dhofar at 10.55%, and North Batinah
of special numbers to charitable societies approved by the at 10.85%. The remaining governorates made up the final 30.15%.
Ministry of Social Development, according to what is stipulated This data highlights the shifting landscape of telecommunications
in the Telecommunications Regulatory Law in Article (16) and in Oman, with a marked preference for postpaid and high-speed
its executive regulations in Article (49), which states that (the broadband services, while traditional fixed-line connections
Authority determines the fee for allocating special numbers and continue to decline. (November 13, 2024) www.meatechwatch.com
undertakes to collect it and deposit its proceeds in a special
account allocated for donations to charitable bodies and The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information
institutions). (December 8, 2024) www.omanobserver.om Technology (MTCIT) has signed a cooperation agreement with
the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) to
Oman’s telecommunications sector has undergone notable advance the government’s digital transformation efforts in Oman.
changes over the past year, with significant growth in postpaid This initiative aims to equip future leaders with the necessary
mobile phone subscriptions and a steady rise in internet usage, skills for innovation and creativity within the digital landscape.
according to the latest data from the National Centre for Statistics Under the auspices of the Government Digital Transformation
and Information. By the end of September 2024, postpaid mobile Program (Tahawul), MTCIT and UTAS will jointly launch a Master
subscriptions in Oman had increased by 23% compared to the of Science program in Digital Transformation and Innovation.
same period last year, reaching a total of 2,163,883 subscriptions. The program is designed to strengthen collaboration between
In contrast, prepaid mobile subscriptions saw a 6% decline, the government and academia, enhancing the skill sets of
dropping to 5,077,026. Despite this decrease, the overall number human resources essential for navigating digital advancements.
of mobile phone subscriptions, including both prepaid and The agreement was signed by H.E. Dr. Ali bin Amer al Shidhani,
postpaid, grew by 1.2%, amounting to 7,240,909. Of these mobile Undersecretary for Communications and Information Technology
subscriptions, 3,837,108 were issued by mobile operators, while at MTCIT, and Dr. Saeed bin Hamad al Rubaie, President of UTAS.
1,239,918 came from resale channels. Broadband internet usage (October 28, 2024) www.meatechwatch.com
also showed growth, with active mobile broadband subscriptions
reaching 5,821,865 by the end of September. Fixed internet Telecommunications Regulatory Authority issued regulations for
subscriptions rose by 3.5% compared to September 2023, Data Center and Cloud Computing. The regulation includes six
totaling 577,713. Fixed broadband subscriptions, those with chapters distributed over 30 articles. It addresses the provisions
speeds exceeding 256 kilobytes per second, increased by 3.5% for providing data center services and cloud computing services,
to 576,011. However, low-speed internet subscriptions, including information security and contractual obligations, methods of
telephone-based and some leased lines, remained minimal, processing subscriber content and data, and others. The objectives
with only 1,702 subscriptions. The data also revealed a decline of the regulation include, enabling investment in innovative
in traditional fixed-line services. Fixed-line subscriptions fell by technologies and services, improving communication services,
25.1%, bringing the total down to 430,585 by the end of September. Developing a flexible and evolving regulatory environment,
Subscriptions to analogue fixed-line services, including prepaid Licensees to provide fixed public telecommunications services,
and postpaid lines, saw an even sharper decline of 72.6%, dropping Data Center and Cloud Computing Provider, Shared Data Center
to just 62,749. Conversely, the number of fixed lines connected and Cloud Computing Services.
to Internet Protocol (IP) technology increased by 10.5%, reaching (October 1, 2024) www www.arabiandaily.com

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