New G5 Classification Proves Saudi Maturity as World-Class Digital Nation

Sky view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Asharq Al-Awsat)

With the Saudi economy continuing to soar in across-the-board global indicators, the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem also joined the upward trend by getting upgraded to the status of fifth generation (G5) regulator by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

The ITU is a specialized agency of the United Nations to oversee all matters related to information and communication technologies (ICT).

The announcement was made during the virtual Global Symposium for Regulators, bringing together heads of national telecom/ICT regulatory authorities from around the world.

Saudi Arabia's new G5 classification is a testimony to the Kingdom's maturity as a world-class digital nation.

Despite repercussions brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, the Saudi government has achieved significant performance leaps in more than 700 global indicators across 12 fields during 2020 and 2021.

The ITU's ICT Regulatory Tracker, for example, is a tool used to classify the maturity of ICT regulatory frameworks across 193 countries.

It is made up of 50 indicators divided into four pillars: regulatory authority, regulatory mandate, regulatory regime, and competition framework.

The Communications and Information Technology Commission's (CITC) recent transformation from a telecom regulator to a digital regulator has paved the way for the next generation of ICT regulation in the Kingdom.

CITC has launched several initiatives enabling a cross-sectoral regulatory environment, boosting investments in the sector and supporting innovation and digital transformation across adjacent sectors.

The achievement of the "gold standard" for policy and regulatory collaboration came two years ahead of the 2023 target date outlined in the Kingdom's ICT Sector Strategy 2023, and only one year after being classified as a fourth-generation regulator.

Significant initiatives for collaborative regulation with all stakeholders in the Kingdom's digital ecosystem include the Kingdom's Digital Economy Policy and the creation of the Digital Government Authority among others.