RIYADH: The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) launched an online portal for registration in its “Pioneers of Technology” program on Saturday, sponsored by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha.

The program aims to promote the Kingdom’s status as a major pioneering digital center, through raising the economic contributions of small and medium enterprises.

Ahmed Hamdan Al-Thenayan, deputy minister for technology and digital capacities at MCIT, said that the program was a strategic initiative that would eliminate obstacles and challenges facing target sectors through using evolving technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the “internet of things.”

He noted that the program would also promote the importance of the fourth industrial revolution in business development and prosperity, and that it would support entrepreneurs in the technological field with the required tools to implement their projects, accelerating digital transformation and supporting Saudi Vision 2030.

Firms in target sectors such as e-commerce, Hajj and Umrah, agriculture, industry, recreation, sports and social entrepreneurship can apply to the program by uploading their projects or ideas on the dedicated website. The registration, presentation and evaluation of the projects will be done online through the website.

The program is intended to give participating technical pioneers a chance to gain practical experience through the training camp. For three months participants will receive intensive guidance in the use of new technology, and at the end of the program, winning entrepreneurs will be honored.