RIYADH — The Digital Government Authority (DGA) has launched the regulatory sandbox initiative for government technology companies.

The initiative aims for governing and enhancing digital government services in Saudi Arabia and preparing the necessary regulations to improve the business environment, in addition to addressing the challenges facing companies and institutions in digital government services and improving the beneficiary’s experience.

The inauguration ceremony took place in Riyadh on Monday, in the presence of Governor of Digital Government Authority Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al-Suwayan and leaders of the digital government transformation in Saudi Arabia. The ceremony included the signing of cooperation agreements and partnerships between DGA and a number of government technical companies to develop the regulatory sandbox at several stages.

The governor of the DGA explained that the initiative aims to find regulatory solutions for digital platforms and services to overcome several challenges such as regulating intellectual property rights, data sharing mechanisms and lack of harmonization.

He pointed out that DGA’s endeavor to govern the regulatory sandbox in an integrated and systematic manner contributes to raising the efficiency and quality of digital platforms and harmonizing government procedures, as well as strengthening the partnership between the government and private sector.

Al-Suwayan indicated that DGA aims to reach an attractive environment for investment in the field of digital government services, create opportunities for innovation and creativity, empower the private sector as a partner in the development process of the digital government transformation, and build distinguished national capabilities capable of achieving digital leadership for Saudi Arabia in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The DGA is responsible for the regulation of digital government in Saudi Arabia and is the national reference in this regard.

The authority is regulating operation, management and related projects, and circulating them to the relevant agencies and following up on the commitments therein. It is also supporting the government agencies through developing plans, programs, benchmarks and indicators related to the digital government in order to reach a proactive digital government that is capable of providing highly efficient digital services. — SPA