The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) published a study titled “Global Governmental Efforts on Fostering the Use of Cloud Computing”, during which it examined the regulatory position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia compared to 10 countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Korea, Japan, Germany, Denmark and Australia, among others. The study revealed that cloud computing will play a pivotal role in building the new digital economy, and that competition in this field will contribute to facilitating regulations, which will encourage innovation, and help create a better ecosystem for the advantage of all stakeholders.

The study highlighted the role of the Covid-19 pandemic in accelerating the pace of digital transformation and data use, pointing out that cloud computing has become a necessity for a range of emerging technologies and solutions, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and crypto, augmented reality/virtual reality, and other wireless services and technologies.

The study stated that the Kingdom is one of the first countries to adopt precise regulations and regulatory frameworks for cloud service providers, adding that in October 2020, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology published and implemented the "KSA Cloud First Policy", which aims to encourage government agencies to adopt cloud services instead of traditional IT solutions.  

The study stated that this policy comes is in line with the Kingdom’s digital transformation driven by its Vision 2030, to increase the quality of services through using innovative solutions across sectors. 

The study also highlighted the role of cloud services, their different types and their main benefits such as cost reduction, scalability, disaster resilience, and others.

  To view the study, visit the link.