CITC issued Decision 325/1432 dated 21/11/1432H to regulate the sale and activation of pre-paid SIM cards. The Decision specifies a number of conditions for such sales and activation, including the requirement to register personal information of the client purchasing the SIM card. The service provider or his agent is forbidden under any circumstances to activate a pre-paid SIM card before verifying and validating the personal information of the purchaser against the information registered in the Al-Elm company database.
The Decision mandates the service provider to re-program its systems to ensure refusal of a SIM card recharge unless the user enters his ID number followed by the recharge number, and the system verifies that the ID number entered matches the ID number provided by the user at the time of SIM purchase.
The Decision forbids the sale of pre-paid SIM cards by anyone other than by the service provider or its authorized representatives and agents. The activation of the SIM card shall only be done by the service provider or its authorized representatives/agents.
It should be stated that CITC issued this Decision due to the continued sale and activation of unauthorized SIM cards in contravention to CITC’s statutes and instructions. CITC affirms that it will continue to take all necessary actions and decisions that will stop violations or limit the negative effects pertaining to the improper use of communications and information technology services.
