Riyadh, September 11, 2023, Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, minister of communications and information technology, reaffirmed that the Kingdom is steadfast in its role as a dynamic and influential leader in both the regional and global digital economies. In the G20, where it actively contributes to shaping digital policies and leads several efforts aimed at bridging the global digital gap, he emphasized the Kingdom's crucial position as a key player. The working group on the digital economy has identified three key priorities: public digital infrastructure, cybersecurity in the digital economy, and skills development. India is leading the G20 this year with the theme "One Earth, One Family, One Future."
This is due to the fact that digitization and digital transformation help address present and upcoming difficulties, open up new opportunities through the use of human-centered technology, and accelerate the expansion of the digital economy to aid in the recovery of the global economy.
On the occasion of the G20 Summit, which was held in India, the minister made the following statement to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA): "Today, the Kingdom takes pride in its advanced technical sector, which has cemented its regional and global position as a major tech hub. These collaborative gains have led to success that is represented in worldwide indices and reports, with national digital capabilities boasting global certifications and supporting digital infrastructure.
In this regard, Eng. Al-Swaha said that, according to the European Centre for Digital Competitiveness, the Kingdom achieved impressive rankings in global digital competitiveness in 2023, placing it second among G20 nations.
He continued by saying that the Kingdom also placed second among G20 countries and fourth overall in the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Digital Readiness Index.
In addition, he noted, it secured third position internationally in the World Bank Group's 2022 GovTech Maturity Index Update (GTMI).
The minister said that the Kingdom's climb to the top rank for venture capital investments in the area, with an astounding $446 million in the first half of the current year, was the result of these efforts.
He also referred to the Kingdom as an example of how to empower women, as evidenced by the rise in their participation from 7% to 33% in a variety of industries.
Eng. Al-Swaha claimed that these initiatives even extended to outer space, where Rayana Barnawi, the first Arab and Muslim astronaut, collaborated with Ali Al-Qarni to carry out 14 ground-breaking scientific and educational experiments on board the International Space Station (ISS).
This strengthens the Kingdom's position in developing the aerospace industry and contributing significantly to space scientific research on a worldwide scale, he said, utilizing these research endeavors for the benefit of humanity.
The minister emphasized that the Kingdom has presented a trailblazing initiative through the establishment of the Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) program, seamlessly connecting it with terrestrial networks, regarding its efforts to serve humanity and its contributions to digital health.
He added that the Kingdom has opened the biggest virtual hospital in the world, providing cutting-edge medical care to more than a million individuals each month, both inside the Kingdom and around the region.
