NEWS
KSA
Nokia and Zain KSA to transform
Jeddah into smart city by 2018
the Cloud to connect and manage a wide array of devices,
vehicles, homes and applications. Use of these technologies
will improve municipal services, enhance the business climate
in Jeddah and create a better quality of life for the city’s
nearly three million residents.
Zain and Nokia will also employ advanced network and customer
experience management tools to ensure smooth and seamless
operation across the objects and locations. To ensure privacy
and fulfill public safety requirements, the companies will place a
strong focus on the reliability and security of the network.
Zain KSA and Nokia have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on a major initiative that
will transform Jeddah, one of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s
(KSA) largest cities, into a model for smart cities in the country
and worldwide by 2018.
Under the MoU, Nokia and Zain KSA will apply advanced
networking technologies in the Internet of Things (IoT) and
Over the course of this two-year plan, the companies will enhance
the network capacity, accessibility and efficiency of Zain KSA ‘s
mobile broadband network in Jeddah, eventually leading to 5G
access, while also expanding the utilization of small cells and WiFi to ensure continuous connectivity throughout the city.
Sultan AlDeghaither, Chief Technology Officer, said: “Jeddah
is the second biggest city in Saudi Arabia - and thanks to our
collaboration with Nokia, it will also be a smart city. Introducing
IoT to all walks of life is a top priority for Zain KSA, and Nokia’s
Smart City solutions will provide us with a framework for
enriching the lives of the people in Jeddah.”
All telecom workers must be
Saudi by September 3
The Ministry of Labour in KSA intends
to nationalise the telecom industry in
the long run, not just the mobile phone
sales, maintenance and accessories
sector, ensuring that no telecom job is
held by an expatriate worker.
Ministry spokesman Khaled bin
Abdulaziz Abalkhail pointed out that
the decision to Saudise the above
mentioned sectors came into effect
on March 10, giving employers and
expatriate workers six months to
correct their status.
After the end of three months, the
entire mobile phone industry has to
recruit 50 percent Saudi employees
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by June 6. And starting Sept. 3, all
employees have to be Saudi, he said.
The spokesman said that all parties
involved have agreed on the total
nationalisation of the telecom sector
and its professions including jobs in cell
phone shops, accounting, marketing
and clerical work.
Mega shops with multiple departments
are required to have a separate section
for mobile phone sales, maintenance
and accessories where Saudi workers
are exclusively allowed to work, he said.
He emphasised that inspection
rounds, in collaboration with other
law enforcement agencies, are
being conducted to make sure that
establishments abide by the decision
that targets telecommunications, in
particular.
The decision aims at creating job
opportunities for Saudi nationals
willing to join the telecom industry. It
also seeks to limit security, social and
economic threats and curb cover-up
business.
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