NEWS
KSA
Zain Saudi Arabia mobile
operating license extended
for additional 15 years
extension, will now expire in January
2047. This follows a notification from
the Kingdom’s Communications and
Information Technology Commission,
(CITC).
Zain Group has announced that its
mobile operation Zain Saudi Arabia
has received a 15 Hijri year extension
on its operating license that was
originally granted in March 2008
for 25 Hijri years and, following the
CITC will also migrate Zain Saudi
Arabia to a unified telecommunication
license that supports both serviceneutrality and technology neutrality,
allowing the Company to provide all
telecommunication services using
appropriate technologies within Zain
KSA’s approved frequency bands. In
addition, the CITC has allowed other
Saudi-licensed telecom companies to
obtain the same unified license.
A condition of the 15 Hijri year
license extension will result in the KSA
Government’s additional entitlement
of 5% of Zain Saudi Arabia’s annual
net income throughout the extension
period. The overall financial impact of
the extension is expected to benefit
Zain KSA’s annual amortisation by
approximately SAR 433 million ($115
million) per annum.
Commenting on this milestone, Bader
Al Kharafi, Zain Group Vice-Chairman
and Zain Saudi Arabia Vice-Chairman
said, “We are sincerely appreciative
to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s
telecommunications regulator, CITC,
and other authorities in the Kingdom
for their professionalism and diligence
in the process of this license extension.
The positive impact of this 15-year
extension on the future sustainability
and growth of Zain Saudi Arabia is
enormous on multiple levels as it will
allow us to invest more in network
upgrades and expansion as we roll out
to meet the ever increasing demand
for vital telecommunications across the
Kingdom.”
KSA Ministry of Interior completes preparations
for its largest-ever participation at GITEX
The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced
the completion of preparations for its largest
ever participation at GITEX Technology
Week that will run from 16-20 October 2016
at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
Dr. Tariq bin Abdullah Al-Shaddi, Director
General of the National Information
Center (NIC) said that government
online services and smart solutions are
the backbone of the future governments
and the foundations to achieve economic
growth and social development.
“KSA and the UAE have moved quickly
to adopt and implement state-of-the-art
smart solutions in several government
activities and transactions. Both countries
have already witnessed significant
achievements and positive results in the
field of online services and advanced
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INTELLIGENTCIO
solutions and future plans further indicate
that they are already among the most
forward-looking governments in the
region and globally,” he added.
“GITEX Technology Week represents
the best platform to exchange expertise
and knowledge between the Kingdom’s
emerging technology sector and
government entities with its GCC –
especially UAE- peers.” He highlighted
the event as “the opportunity to enhance
cooperation and coordination between
the two governments in this field and the
positive effects of this on the business
environments, citizens and residents of
both countries,” Dr. Al-Shaddi said.
The Ministry of Interior recently
announced in a press conference
held in Riyadh that it became GITEX
Technology Week’s Official Country
Partner. The size of the participation
reflects the Kingdom’s ambitious digital
transformation plans that are crucial parts
of Saudi Vision 2030 and the National
Transformation Programme 2020 which
aim at diversifying the economy and
improving its global competitiveness.
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