https://arab.news/57nc4
JEDDAH: With the amount of data increasing at an exponential rate, doubling every two years, information processing and analysis tools and storage technologies have become critical requirements for any nation with a clear strategy for digital transformation.
Saudi Arabia is no exception, thanks to a nimble information technology community whose rapid adoption of cloud-based technologies is supporting and accelerating the Kingdom’s digital transformation.
In recent years, many governments and organizations around the world have turned to cloud computing as a competitive driver of operational efficiency, mainly to find a balance between security and agility.
Last October, a study by research firm Markets and Markets estimated that cloud-services adoption will grow by 16.3 percent between 2021-2026. Similarly, Gartner, the technology research and consulting firm, estimates that more than 95 percent of new digital workloads will be deployed on cloud-native platforms by 2025, up from 30 percent in 2021.
The Kingdom’s investment in and utilization of cutting-age information and communications technology has prepared it well for the new era of e-government, a framework with benefits for citizens, the government and the economy.
Experts say the Saudi government has been proactive in its approach to the implementation of digital technologies driving economic diversification, boosting innovation and building a thriving digital economy.
The transformation to e-government is taking place as the ICT sector witnesses rapid change. In 2019, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology announced a “cloud first policy” that guides public and private sector companies as part of a cloud-led transformation.
The Communications and Technology Information Commission adopted a Cloud Computing Regulatory Framework, which aims to enhance cloud-computing services in the Kingdom and ensure regulatory transparency.
The commission has laid out a path to become a 5G digital regulator, the most advanced category according to the International Telecommunication Union, to connect the Kingdom to a thriving digital economy, increase innovation, inclusiveness, and sustainability, growth and partnerships.
Two years ago, the commission updated its cloud-computing framework and outlined the separate responsibilities of service providers and users, namely individual customers, government agencies and enterprises. Currently, cloud services are deployed under four models: Private, public, community and hybrid.
The framework makes a clear distinction between “Saudi government data” and “non-government data.” Within these two categories, subscriber data uploaded into a cloud solution provider’s cloud system may then be subject to additional classification levels, depending on the required level to preserve the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the data in question.
Saudi government data may be classified as “top secret,” “secret,” “confidential,” or “public.” Non-government data is categorized as either “data received from Saudi government entities” or “other data.”
* Digitization is the transformation of information from analog or manual to digital, such as the conversion of handwritten records into computerized versions.
* Digitalization is the process of applying digital tech and capabilities to tasks normally handled by people, delivering improved outcomes.
In October 2020, the ministry published the Kingdom’s Cloud First Policy to accelerate the pace at which government authorities were migrating from traditional IT infrastructure to cloud platforms, and encourage the adoption of cloud services in the country.
The ministry said that the policy covered all government authorities with some exclusions. These authorities would consider cloud-computing options when making new IT investment decisions in line with a clearly defined strategy that caters for various technical, security and commercial requirements.
To date, there are 21 service providers in the Kingdom, according to the commission website, ranging between class A and C. Nine more cloud providers are in the process of qualifying.
CNTXT, a company established to spearhead cloud-computing adoption in the Kingdom, offers Google Cloud solutions and services, digital transformation software, and consulting for public and private sector customers seeking to secure their place in the digital future.
The company is a joint venture by Saudi Aramco and Norwegian software firm Cognite.
“Many (clients) realize that cloud adoption is more than just adopting new technology,” its CEO, Abdullah Jarwan, told Arab News. “It is an all-encompassing organizational change. It is about establishing a new technology strategy for the company, identifying new ways of working, and undergoing change management processes that enable you to take the most from cloud technology.”
The global pandemic not only highlighted the vulnerability of national systems, but also showed that while foundational organizational infrastructure is essential, work is needed to strengthen the digital resilience of the Kingdom’s economic sectors.
Experts believe the Saudi government’s cloud-first policy goal will facilitate access to global cloud service providers, which in turn will attract investments, develop definitive data regulations, enable innovation, foster agility and scale up growth.
“Cloud-technology adoption, like any other technology adoption, also requires cultural change,” Jarwan said.
* 16.3 percent Global growth rate of cloud adoption in 2021-2026.
* $448bn Projected global cloud services market value by 2026.
* $10bn Projected demand for cloud services in KSA by 2030.
* 92 percent KSA executives expecting 50 percent+ shift to cloud over next three years.
“It requires the company to invest in training and up-skilling its workforce in order to make sure that employees know how to take the most advantage of new cloud-based tools. It can sometimes also be hard to convince people to start using new tools. So, this change needs to be embraced and communicated from the top, where the cloud is positioned as a fundamental enabler of a company’s innovation.”
Today, the adoption of cloud computing is one of the most discussed topics in the Kingdom’s ICT sector, as entities in both the public and private sectors look to accelerate digital transformation.
Cloud computing is a relatively mature and robust technology that offers its users several proven advantages, such as cost reduction, immediate scalability and resource sharing.
Security is cloud migration’s primary, if not most significant, characteristic. Cybersecurity threats across the digital landscape rose almost exponentially during the global pandemic. Many organizations opted for cloud migration owing to restrictions on operations with on-premise IT systems.
Though cybersecurity threats are still a significant concern today, cloud security concerns are also coming to the fore. Such threats include lack of user awareness of safe configuration practices for personal smart home security; lack of secure setup and checkups for remote access enterprise systems; and end-user education against social engineering as user information is increasingly stolen via fraudulent emails and web links sent via social media platforms, instant messages and others.
Despite the threats, a Mordor Intelligence study of migration to cloud services between 2018-2026 put the market value in 2026 at $448.324 billion, compared with $119.13 billion in 2021.
According to Jarwan, several points are usually considered before companies migrate to the cloud, such as “technology stack evaluation, on-premise hardware and software, security evaluation, identification of gaps, and cost.”
Once the assessments are made, companies prioritize their services for the transition.
“Companies that want to secure their space in the digital future must adopt the cloud,” Jarwan told Arab News. “It provides flexibility, scalability, and access to the latest technologies, enabling teams to innovate faster and be more agile.
“Companies can shift their focus from maintaining infrastructure, which is not their core business, to freeing resources for actual development and innovation.”
Looking ahead, Jarwan said: “The question is not if but when and how companies should adopt the cloud.”
Saudi authorities have thwarted a multi-million dollar narcotics haul in a bust that saw eight expats arrested, state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.
During a raid on a warehouse in Riyadh, Saudi Arabian authorities found the 47 million amphetamine pills, which have a street value of approximately $470m to $1.175bln, according to figures cited in research published in the International Addiction Review journal.
It’s the largest known smuggling attempt of its kind in the Kingdom, the report added.
Six Syrians and two Pakistanis were arrested after authorities discovered the pills hidden in a large shipment of flour, SPA cited the spokesperson of the Saudi Narcotics Control Major Mohammed Al-Najidi as saying on Wednesday.
An investigation has been launched by the Public Prosecution, SPA reported.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said Wednesday it opened an investigation after videos purportedly showed security forces beating women at an orphanage in the Kingdom’s southwest.
The governor of Saudi Arabia’s Asir region formed a committee to probe the beatings captured in the online video and “refer the case to the competent authorities,” Saudi Press Agency reported. It was not immediately clear what led to the incident or when it took place.
The Kingdom’s Public Prosecution said it had started an investigation into the incident. It added that it is proceeding with its judicial procedures to protect society and preserve public money, and continues its judicial role to take care of the guarantees that detainees are entitled to.
In the footage from an orphanage in the city of Khamis Mushayt, security officials hold down women in black abayas while uniformed security forces repeatedly lash them with leather belts and wooden sticks. One man could be seen dragging a woman by her hair across the orphanage lawn as she screamed.
Other clips showed officers chasing women through the orphanage and brutally shoving them to the ground.
The videos spread rapidly online, with (hashtag)KhamisMushaytOrphans among the most popular on Twitter in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.
DUBAI: The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) concluded on Tuesday a medical program to combat blindness and other ophthalmic diseases in Bangladesh.
Medical teams from KSRelief ‘examined 5,155 cases, distributed 1,513 glasses, and performed 544 surgeries,’ state news agency SPA reported.
The program, which was within the ‘Noor Saudi Arabia’ initiative, also ran in Eritrea from Aug. 19 to 26.
According to SPA, 4,800 cases were examined in the process and 181 successful surgical operations were performed.
The initiative comes as part of Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian projects implemented by KSRelief to aid low-income families in less-fortunate countries.
DUBAI: The Commission of Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) affirmed its support for Saudi Arabia’s bid to host Expo 2030 in Riyadh.
The statement issued on Tuesday by ECCAS comes after the president of the commission, Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo, received Ahmed bin Abdulaziz Qattan, Saudi Arabia’s Royal Court Advisor, in Gabon.
According to the statement, which was released following the meeting, ECCAS affirmed its “strong support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s hosting the ‘First Saudi-African Summit’ and the ‘Fifth Arab-African Summit’ in Riyadh”.
During the meeting, Qattan and Verissimo discussed ways of cooperation between Saudi and the ECCAS, opportunities to enhance economic and investment cooperation, and joint coordination in areas of common interest.
The Gabonese foreign minister, Michael Moussa Adamo, also attended the meeting.
Advisor Qattan expressed Saudi Arabia’s appreciation for the support received, which reflects the distinguished relations between the Kingdom and ECCAS’s state members.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s royal court advisor and General Supervisor of King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (Ksrelief) met with the Ambassador of Kuwait to Yemen.
Kuwaiti ambassador Falah Badah Al-Hajraf expressed his admiration for KSRelief’s ‘distinguished professional level’ in the field of humanitarian aid when he met with the general supervisor of the relief center, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Rabeeah.
