Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The National Security Operations Center reported there are women employees at the call center receiving national security reports.

Ministry of Interior National Security Operations Center Director Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Al-Saleh said the call center can be reached through a 911 hotline and the center receives various calls from citizens and residents to report security crimes or complaints.

“Our employees speak nine different languages including Arabic, English, French, Urdu, Farsi and Indonesian. The center has a suitable work environment for women ensuring their privacy and comfort. The women employed undergo the required training to make sure that they are able to communicate and respond to all layers of society,” said Al-Saleh.

He also said the center aims to be approachable and friendly towards the society. “Citizens and residents should not hesitate to contact the authority when they are in need. We thank the endless support of the Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz Bin Naif for equipping the center with the latest technology,” said Al-Saleh.

He added the center receives 40,000 calls a day, most of the calls are service calls, while it has received an average of 63,000 calls a day last year during the Haj season.

“The Civil Defense troops are dispersed by 21 different government directorates in the city to be ready for service whenever an emergency occurs. We are currently working on developing ways to better communicate with people with disabilities and facilitate our services to them,” said Al-Saleh.

He added the center welcomes all reports of emergencies and security threats, as it is responsible for coordinating with the different authorities to best handle a situation.

“For example, in case of a road accident, the center can contact the Traffic Department to attend to the matter legally and also contact the Red Crescent to send paramedics to treat the victims. Often times, people call the wrong authority to handle a situation. The call center is a centralized entity that can connect to all the different directorates in the country,” said Al-Saleh.

He added the call center emphasizes the quick response strategy as it prioritizes citizens’ and residents’ safety and security.

“We are in close and constant communication with the Civil Defense, the Traffic Department, the police, Jeddah municipality, Taif Municipality, Makkah Municipality, the Red Crescent, the electricity company, the water company and the Health Affairs Directorate,” said Al-Saleh.

He added all calls received go through a four-stage operation. “The first stage is receiving the call. The second stage is deploying the call to the pertinent directorate. The third stage is monitoring the progress of the call. The fourth stage is managing the call as it is being dealt with by the different directorates involved,” said Al-Saleh.

He said that the 911 hotline was first implemented in Makkkah. “The hotline is now available in Riyadh, Madinah and the Eastern Province. Soon, the 911 hotline will be a centralized hotline to report security threats, crimes and emergencies everywhere in the Kingdom. The center has recently launched the new uniform for the employees at the center and it’s a black and grey suit that the employees will be wearing from now on,” said Al-Saleh.