NEWS
Saudi Arabia’s Global
Cybersecurity Forum puts
emphasis on protection
CITC in KSA
to grant new
MVNO Licenses
in 2020
T
he Communication and Information
Technology Commission (CITC) has
released a Request for Application (RFA)
to issue foreign mobile virtual network
operators (MVNO) with licenses, enabling
them to invest in Saudi Arabia.
This decision will play a role in achieving
Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030’s objective to
increase the dynamism of the Information
Technology and Communication sector
(ICT) through the use of digital technologies,
while further developing the Kingdom’s
knowledge-based economy.
Licensing of MVNOs is also a key pillar in
the five-year strategy established by the
Ministry of Information and Communication
Technology to accelerate the ICT sector’s
growth by 50% and elevate its contribution
to GDP by US$13.3 billion.
A
landmark cybersecurity event
has taken place in Saudi Arabia.
The Global Cybersecurity Forum
launched powerful initiatives to protect
children and empower women in the
arena of cybersecurity.
The two-day forum was organised by
the National Cybersecurity Authority
in the Kingdom and attracted 3,500
participants, including policymakers and
executives from global tech companies.
The forum concluded its activities
by issuing the Riyadh Cybersecurity
Statement. This urged all stakeholders to
support several recommendations aimed
at making a combined effort to create a
safer cyberspace for all.
The National Cyber Security Authority
also signed MoUs with the NEOM
company, global safety science company
www.intelligentcio.com
UL, as well as the King Abdullah University
of Science and Technology.
The MoUs were signed to create
strategic partnerships leading to co-
operation, raise the level of research
and development and build more secure
cybersecurity systems.
Overall, one of the event’s main aims
was to shape the conversation on
cybersecurity and create the foundations
for greater cyber-resilience, capacity and
management of the threat landscape.
Until recently, Saudi Telecommunications
company, Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) and
Mobile Telecommunications Company
Saudi Arabia (Zain) were the only mobile
telecommunications operators in Saudi
Arabia. The government has since offered
MVNOs licenses to Virgin, Etihad Jawraa
and Lebara.
Currently valued at U$28.7 billion in 2019,
the ICT sector in Saudi Arabia is forecasted
to enjoy exponential growth in the years
to come thanks to a young and tech-savvy
population, 58% of whom are under the
age of 30. companies awarded with a
license will gain access to a market of more
than 43.8 million mobile subscribers, with
a mobile penetration rate of 129% of the
total population.
The forum highlighted and enabled
discussions on investment and economic
opportunities created within the
cybersecurity industry.
It also served to create an action-
oriented roadmap that sets the stage for
cybersecurity in the 21st century.
INTELLIGENTCIO
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