![[object Object]](/_next/static/media/icon_link_digital_seal.76df9737.svg){kind=icon}
![[object Object]](/_next/static/media/icon_password.3ae6441e.svg){kind=icon}
Governing the Digital Transformation
Share The Page
Digital Government Authority (DGA)
The Council of Ministers approved the establishment of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) in accordance with Council Resolution No. (418) dated 25/7/1442 AH. The decision stipulates that “the authority has legal personality, financial and administrative independence, and it is linked organically to the Prime Minister,” and that it “is the authority concerned with everything related to digital government and it is the national reference in its affairs. It aims to regulate the work of digital government in government agencies in order to reach a digital and proactive government capable of providing highly efficient digital services and achieving integration in the field of digital government among all stakeholder agencies.
Digital Government Authority’s Jurisdictions
Without prejudice to the competencies of the relevant authorities, the authority shall assume the following specializations and tasks:
- Approve the policies related to the authority’s activities and the plans and programs necessary for their implementation, and lift what is required for the completion of procedures in this regard.
- Propose draft regulations related to the authority’s jurisdiction, propose to amend the applicable ones, and submit them to complete the necessary legal procedures.
- Participate in preparing the national strategy for the digital government - in coordination with the concerned authorities - in preparation for raising it in accordance with the followed legal procedures, overseeing its implementation after its approval, developing its implementation plans and following up on compliance with it.
- Coordinate with the competent authorities to work on regulating the work of digital government, platforms, websites, digital government services, government networks, and the unified national portal, and this includes developing plans, programs, indicators and measures related to digital government work, shared digital government services, digital trust services in government agencies, and the market platform Governmental digital system, organizing the operations and management processes and related projects, disseminating them to the relevant authorities, and following up their commitment to them.
- Issue measurements, indicators, tools and reports; to measure the performance and capabilities of government agencies in the field of digital government and the satisfaction of the beneficiaries with it.
- Follow up on the commitment of government agencies to the decisions and orders issued in the matter of digital government transactions in accordance with the frameworks and standards set by the authority.
- Governance of the digital government cloud business and clouds related to the digital government sector.
- Rationalize the costs of digital government services in order to ensure a better level of service, and set the necessary controls for that, in partnership with the competent authorities.
- Setting technical standards for digital transformation models in government sectors and following up on compliance with them in coordination with the competent authorities.
- Provide support to government agencies with regard to digital government services to adopt and enable modern technologies.
- Contribute to building national capabilities specialized in digital government and participate in preparing educational and training programs related to digital government.
- Conduct studies and research in the field of digital government and encourage investment in it.
- Contribute to setting standard specifications for digital government products and overseeing their implementation in cooperation with the competent authorities.
- Provide advice and services in relation to digital government for government agencies and the private sector.
Government Chief Information Officer (CIO) - Governor of the DGA
His Excellency Eng. Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Ali Al-Soyyan
He holds a master's degree in business administration from Prince Sultan University and a bachelor's in computer science from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, and he worked as the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance for Technology and Development Affairs since 2017, and before that, he was responsible for strategic planning and information technology in the Saudi Industrial Development Fund between 2015 And 2017.
His Excellency also held several positions in Etihad Etisalat "Mobily," most notably the Vice President for Application Development and Planning. In addition to his membership on the boards of directors of each of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property, the Saudi Company for Electronic Information Exchange (exchange), the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, and the Communications and Information Technology Commission. read more …
Board of Directors of the Digital Government Authority
The Chairman of the Board is the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. Members of the Board are the Ministers for Commerce, Finance, Human Resources and Social Development, the Deputy Minister of the Interior, the Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology, the President of the Saudi for Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA), Governor of the National Cybersecurity Authority, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority, and the Governor of the Digital Government Authority.
Digital Government Transformation Committee and National CIO Network
The decision to establish the Digital Government Transformation Committee was issued by the Board of Directors of the Digital Government Authority (DGA) No. (7-4-2021) dated 02/04/1443 AH corresponding to 07/11/2021 AD. The Committee aims to raise the efficiency and effectiveness of implementing digital initiatives for government agencies and ensure harmonization between agencies to achieve the targets within the Digital Government Strategy. DGA provides technical and operational support to the Committee and hosts its Secretariat.
The main tasks and responsibilities of the Digital Government Transformation Committee include:
- Supervise the implementation of the current national Digital Government Strategy and other sectoral digital strategies and inform the Government quarterly on the progress made.
- Supervise the government authorities' implementation of digital government-related projects and initiatives, monitoring digital government platforms, websites and services, government networks and the national portal standards. It is also mandated to submit proposals to the Council to improve the effectiveness of government agencies regarding service provision.
- Adopt opinions regarding follow-up, implementation, and compliance with regulatory decisions and orders related to digital government work.
- Recommend targets to rationalize digital government services costs, realise optimal utilization of government digital system components, and share it among all government sectors and institutions. It also monitors the achievements and provides support to government authorities to achieve their objectives.
- Review sectoral strategies and ensure their alignment with the national Digital Government Strategy.
- Adapt and coordinate efforts between different government services and support for integrating and unifying government digital services to activate life journeys.
- Follow-up progress in the implementation of strategic initiatives and provide the necessary support.
Membership and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) Network
The Digital Government Transformation Committee also acts as a Chief Information Officers (CIOs) Network. It comprises 27 members, all high-ranked government officials representing various government agencies. All 27 members also act as official Chief Information Officers (CIOs) within their government agencies. The current members of the Committee include:
Escalation Mechanism
The mandate of the Digital Government Transformation Committee also includes the establishment of an escalation mechanism. While most digital government-related projects and initiatives have been implemented without significant issues or challenges, some require intervention and guidance from the highest authority. To ensure proper coordination and implementation of the projects and initiatives and resolve any ongoing issues, the Digital Government Transformation Committee established an escalation mechanism. The escalation mechanism and procedure are presented below.
Digital Government Authority’s Services
Services Provided to Government Agencies.
The Kingdom empowers government agencies digitally through many programs by the Digital Government Authority to provide citizens with effortless services.
- Applying for a Software License: Allowing government agencies to request a license before taking any actions related to other governmental services.
- Product Management: This service allows government agencies to manage, classify, and publish their products on the government software deposit platform.
- Uploading a Source Code: This service allows developers of government agencies to deposit the source code of their governmental software in the digital platform for depositing government software, enabling the Digital Government Authority to test, review and approve the source codes. More DGA services for government agencies.
Programs to Support and Empower Government Services
- GovTech: The GovTech Program aims to support all government agencies to adopt emerging technologies in their products and services to pave the way for an innovative government future.
- Digital Consulting Program: Provide digital advisory services to government entities to accelerate the government's digital transformation and adoption of innovative solutions.
- Digital Government Award: The Digital Government Innovation Award aims to improve the quality of life and achieve beneficiaries' satisfaction by building an integrated digital society in Saudi Arabia that provides proactive digital services.
- OSS: aims to avail the governmental open-source systems code, which is aligned with the organizing roles of OSS.
- Q.Ttech: QTECH aims to raise the governmental capabilities in digital transformation through development programs and knowledge activities to build an active and efficient digital society.
- Digital Transformation Measurement (Qiyas): Tool to measure the digital transformation level achieved by a certain government agency.
- Information Technology Leadership Portal: An interactive portal for government agency technical leaders is available to enable standards about national services and applications provided by the Digital Government Authority to support KSA’s digital government. It also allows information technology managers to use services effectively and to update them directly.
Services Provided to the Citizens
The Kingdom launched the National Platform, dedicated to providing all government services through a unified experience, making services accessible to citizens, residents, entrepreneurs, and visitors through multiple channels. These actions contributed to improving the status in digital governance as it advanced the Kingdom by 12 positions jumping 12 ranks in the UN’s 2022 EGDI (E-Government Development Index), to be global, implementing governmental services allowing citizens to return from abroad through the platform during COVID-19 pandemic crisis, launching an interactive and informative website for distance learning, which contains all the required links and instructions for working remotely., launching the National Profile for citizens and residents, in which a citizen’s information is made available to government entities for viewing, handling and providing more than 30 services in the National Profile, launching the COVID-19 national reference platform, launching “Morajea” App, for booking appointments to visit government entities and apply social distancing and increasing government digital services to increase the beneficiaries’ satisfaction rate.
Citizen Interaction Center (AMER)
Thousands of citizens use electronic government agency services daily. Therefore, the Citizens Interaction Center (Amer) was launched to respond to all inquiries related to many communication channels of electronic services: Toll-Free, Text messages, Instant chat, Email, Fax, and Social media channels.
The center also visually interprets services in sign language for the deaf, maintaining the privacy of women with female interpreters.
Coordinating and cooperation for Digital Transformation
The governance of digital transformation covers not only the introduction of digital technologies, but also the proper collaboration and cooperation among many stake holders. The information extends over different sectors. The different government authorities in charge of the development of these sectors assume independent planning and management. It is logical and pragmatic that the intergovernmental cooperation combined with coordination of several government stakeholders will be of paramount impact on success. In different ways, allocation of tasks, use of new skills and arrangements to realize efficiency savings and other new dimensions of the concept of national transformation. Policymakers focus on the strategic responses to the direct issues relating to digital transformation – strategic direction and priorities, involvement across levels of government, collaboration, and partnerships with the private sector as well.
A strong directive and modality of cooperation and coordination exist between several stakeholders in Saudi digital transformation–related authorities, government entities, as well as the national private sector. This coordination is adopted and maintained by DGA in its strategic action plans.
This policy of operation helps the operatives to be involved with the right groups of people from the outset of any digital transformation project. These include citizens, public servants, sector professionals and people at all levels of government; maintain strong communication practices through communication networks specific to the project and sharing information.
Digital Government Authority (DGA) adheres strongly to the United Nationals roadmap for Digital Cooperation that was launched in 2020 by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres. Hence cooperation and collaboration in the field of digital transformation are not limited to national stakeholders but are shared and welcomed internationally.
Other National Actors
Several actors in the Kingdom are directly or indirectly involved in the digital transformation process. These actors have their strategies, policies and action plans. They are listed here. This list is not exhaustive and other actors exist in different level of involvement and impact.
Comments & Suggestions
For any inquiries or comments, please fill in the required information.
Loading...