Saudi Arabia’s DGA approves first digital regulatory framework

Saudi DGA
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By Arya M Nair, Official Reporter
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The board of directors of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) has approved the regulatory framework of the digital government in line with the DGA’s efforts to digitalize its governance.

The approval is intended to strengthen digital government work and services in compliance with the highest international standards and practices, as well as to enable public agencies to effectively collaborate to deliver proactive and highly efficient digital government services.

DGA Governor Mr. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ali Al Soyyan remarked that the DGA’s digital government regulatory framework will be the foundation for future digital government regulation. The framework includes a collection of principles, regulations, standards, and user guides.

The framework is designed based on eight key principles, such as the “Once Only Principle,” “Digital by Design,” and “Mobile First.” It also includes the digital government policy, which facilitates and accelerates the government sector’s sustainable digital transformation as well as the successful implementation of the digital government’s strategic directions.

Digital governance, digital services lifecycle administration and up-skilling, beneficiary-centric, and technology are the five sub-policies that support the framework. Each of these sub-policies, in turn, provides a set of standards and user guides that help to support the implementation mechanism and improve the regulatory environment.

In addition, the DGA intends to allow the government to reach advanced levels of maturity in its digital transformation, unify and institutionalize the concept of government policies and standards, provide recommendations to government agencies during implementation, and ensure the adoption of unified standards.

Saudi Arabia’s DGA is an autonomous agency in charge of overseeing the Kingdom’s digital infrastructure. By 2024, it aims to form a “smart” government, which will involve providing public officials with digital skills and allowing citizens to connect with government services over the internet.

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