Saudi Arabia ranks top in region, 4th globally on UN’s digital government services index

Saudi Arabia has jumped 25 places in the UN E-Government Development Index (EGDI) 2024, becoming one of the leading countries worldwide, reported SPA on Tuesday. (Shutterstock/File)
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Updated 17 September 2024
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Saudi Arabia ranks top in region, 4th globally on UN’s digital government services index

  • Minister of communications and IT says leap of 25 places on E-Government Development Index is result of the support and empowerment from country’s leadership
  • Compilers of the index also praise Kingdom for significant developments in wider field of digital government, in which it now ranks 6th in the world

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has climbed 25 places to become one of the leading countries in the global rankings on the UN’s E-Government Development Index for 2024, which was published on Tuesday.

The Kingdom ranks first in the region, second among G20 countries and fourth globally on the digital services index. It also achieved seventh place on the e-participation index, and Riyadh ranked third among 193 cities worldwide.

The compilers of the index also praised Saudi Arabia for its significant developments in the field of digital government, thanks to which it ranked sixth in the world.

The Saudi minister of communications and information technology, Abdullah Al-Swaha, who also chairs the board of directors of the Digital Government Authority, thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for their support of efforts by the technical and digital sectors to digitally transform government services, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

He said the leap forward to historically high rankings on the UN index was in particular the result of the support and empowerment provided by the crown prince, in keeping with the objectives of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification, for efforts to establish and enhance the Kingdom’s role as an influential leader in the digital economy, regionally and globally.

The governor of the Digital Government Authority, Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, said that the nation’s continued progress in the index rankings reflects the desire of the Saudi leadership to provide the best possible digital government services. In particular he praised Saudi Vision 2030 for the significant effects it has had on improving the Kingdom’s position on the index.

Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, Saudi Arabia has also climbed 53 places on the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index. In addition, the country has made notable progress on the Human Capital Index, advancing 31 places, and improved its position on the Online Service Index by 67 places to achieve fourth place globally this year.

The UN report noted that the maturity of digital government regulations in the Kingdom has reached a level of 100 percent, as has the accessibility and sharing of open government data with citizens and business sectors. Saudi Arabia also advanced 60 places on the index in terms e-participation and consultation with individuals and the business community.

The E-Government Development Index, which is published every two years, has been viewed as one of the most important international indicators of its kind for more than 20 years. It provides measure of the effects of structural reforms on productivity, efficiency and user experience as a result of the development of digital government frameworks and services in UN member states.


Riyadh hosts forum on Arabic language computing

Updated 06 October 2024
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Riyadh hosts forum on Arabic language computing

  • The event drew participants from local, regional, and international institutions, along with researchers from 22 countries
  • he conference aims to foster collaboration between computational experts and linguists

RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language launched its third international conference on Sunday in Riyadh, called “Arabic Language Computing and Linguistic Data Enrichment.”

The event drew participants from local, regional, and international institutions, along with researchers from 22 countries, who focused on computational linguistics, computer science, and the Arabic language.

The conference aims to foster collaboration between computational experts and linguists, bridging knowledge gaps and showcasing key projects in Arabic language computing.

It seeks to enrich Arabic language datasets to enhance artificial intelligence models and support Arabic language processing.

Abdullah Al-Washmi, the academy’s secretary-general, spoke of the need to improve academic practices in the Arab world and provide a platform for discussing challenges and opportunities in linguistic data quality and accessibility.

Topics include machine learning, speech-to-text conversion, and automated text recognition, as well as the use of computational linguistics in Arabic language learning, digital dictionary techniques, and linguistic corpus analysis.

Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Mahyobi, an associate professor of computational linguistics at Imam Mohammad ibn Saud Islamic University, said that research would result in more objective and precise language analysis results.

He noted that automation eliminated subjective guesswork, leading to reliable and verified outcomes.

Al-Mahyobi added that automating language processing could revolutionize machine translation, error detection, speech recognition, and text compression and indexing.

He said that Arabic’s structured morphological, syntactical, and lexical systems made it particularly suited for advanced digital processing.


Saudi woman transforms Arabic learning for children with interactive calligraphy game

Updated 06 October 2024
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Saudi woman transforms Arabic learning for children with interactive calligraphy game

  • Lujain Abulfaraj established “Akwan” (universes in Arabic) to enrich language learning for children a

RIYADH: Driven by her passion for the Arabic language, Saudi woman Lujain Abulfaraj has embarked on a mission to make it more engaging for children. After noticing her son’s disinterest in Arabic, she sought a solution.

In 2015, Abulfaraj enrolled in a design program dedicated to exploring the beauty of Arabic calligraphy and its potential as an educational tool, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Realizing its ability to be both entertaining and instructive, she created a game featuring large Arabic letters that could be arranged into words for play.

This led her to establish a venture aimed at enriching language learning for children. In 2020, she introduced “Akwan” (universes in Arabic), a set of magnetic bricks inspired by Arabic calligraphy, designed to make learning interactive and enjoyable for children.

At the Riyadh International Book Fair, Abulfaraj highlighted the boundless creative possibilities “Akwan” offers children, SPA reported.

She praised the Ministry of Culture for its efforts in revitalizing Saudi culture, particularly the language, and for supporting young talent in the country.

In recognition of her dedication, the Ministry of Culture nominated Abulfaraj for the 2023 Cultural Awards in architecture and design, where she became one of the top three finalists in the Kingdom.

Her work also earned the “Designed in Saudi” seal.


Deal signed to promote falconry on Hawi platform

Updated 06 October 2024
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Deal signed to promote falconry on Hawi platform

  • The deal was signed on the sidelines of the International Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition
  • The agreement will help enthusiasts form falconry clubs and produce supplies via the Hawi platform

RIYADH: Saudi Falcons Club’s CEO Talal Al-Shamaisi, and Khalid Al-Baker, the Quality of Life Program’s CEO, have signed a memorandum of cooperation to support falconry and establish amateur clubs through Hawi, the national hobbies portal.

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the International Saudi Falcons and Hunting Exhibition, which is being held in Malham, Riyadh, until Oct. 12, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

The agreement will help enthusiasts form falconry clubs and produce supplies via the Hawi platform. It will also facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration to promote falconry and enhance the community’s cultural and recreational life.

Hawi, an initiative of the Quality of Life Program, aims to stimulate the hobbies sector by creating clubs while providing a supportive environment.

The memorandum supports the club’s goals to increase the number of falconry practitioners, preserve cultural heritage, promote environmental awareness, and position Saudi Arabia as a global hub for falconry.

Separately, the Saudi Falcons Club and King Khalid University have signed a memorandum of cooperation to implement awareness initiatives and rehabilitation programs related to falcons and falconry.

The agreement also includes research and training programs in falconry. It aims to attract investors, share data and studies, and collaborate on events, exhibitions, and conferences.


Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen

Updated 06 October 2024
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Saudi project clears 1,579 Houthi mines in Yemen

  • A total of 465,252 mines had been cleared since Masam's inception in 2018

RIYADH: Members of Saudi Arabia’s Project Masam removed 1,579 explosive devices from various regions of Yemen last week.

The total included five anti-personnel mines, 126 anti-tank mines, 1,442 unexploded ordnances and six explosive devices, according to a recent report.

Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the initiative’s managing director, said a total of 465,252 mines had been cleared since its inception in 2018.

The explosives were planted indiscriminately and posed a threat to civilians, including children, women and the elderly.

Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.

The demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

Teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads and schools to facilitate safe movement for civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.


Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia

Updated 06 October 2024
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Moon-Venus conjunction visible in northern Saudi Arabia

  • Celestial show after sunset over the Northern Border region was visible to the naked eye

RAFHA: A spectacular celestial event occurred over Saudi Arabia’s northern skies on Saturday night, with the moon and Venus in conjunction, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

Known as a conjunction, the phenomenon in the sky after sunset in the Northern Border region was visible to the naked eye, with the moon and the planet separated by just three degrees.

A conjunction occurs when two celestial objects appear close to each other in the sky and share the same celestial longitude, according to astronomer Berjis Al-Fulaih.

Al-Fulaih, an official with the AFAQ Society for Astronomy in Taif, noted that Venus is often referred to as the “Evening Star” or the “Morning Star,” depending on its position in the west or east.

The alignment marks the beginning of the moon’s monthly journey past the bright planets.

The phenomenon occurred in the sky after sunset over the Northern Border region and was visible to the naked eye. (SPA)

In an interview with SPA before the celestial event, Jeddah Astronomy Society chief Majed Abu Zahra said the appearance of the crescent moon and Venus together shortly after sunset, before the sky darkened fully, created the spectacular view.

“As the second and third brightest objects in the night sky, after the sun, they will present a striking view,” he said.

A faint glow, caused by sunlight reflecting off Earth (known as Earthshine), will softly illuminate the unlit part of the moon’s disk, he explained.

Abu Zahra said there will be another astronomical event in mid-October: the arrival of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which will appear 20 to 25 degrees northwest of Venus on Oct. 13 and 14. The comet may even be visible to the naked eye, although comets are notoriously unpredictable.

By Oct. 25, Venus will appear three degrees north of the star Antares. Toward the end of the month, Venus will draw closer to Earth, with its disk measuring 14 arcseconds and being 77 percent illuminated, Abu Zahra told SPA.