Abdullah Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information, said that 3.5 million homes were connected with fiber optics across the Kingdom.
“The Kingdom has become number four globally in 5G and this have helped us fight COVID-19, flatten the curve and go to a better future,” Al-Swaha said in G20 digital economy ministerial press conference.
About 99% of the Kingdom has basic connectivity, 96% has access to 4G, and the nation is one of the fastest-growing in the world for 5G deployment.
The number of virtual telemedicine clinics and visits that took place were fivefold what we have seen in 2019, with more than 11 million virtual consultations delivered.
“We have also seen the largest implementation of AI in education,” Al-Swaha added, noting that the Kingdom has shown the role model for peer countries, as Saudi Arabia’s investments in the past three years have paid dividends.
Post covid-19, digital economy has become the lifeline and the backbone for continuing education, and receiving care. It also serves as the gateway for opportunities for youth, women entrepreneurs.
“The world cannot afford a digital crisis. The coronavirus pandemic is putting already $6 trillion at stake. About 400 million people have lost their jobs and the number of people that have entered extreme poverty hit a record high of 700 million people,” Alswaha noted.
Answering a question about the Kingdom’s efforts to close down the digital divide, Al-Swaha said, “We have pumped $15 billion in the Kingdom in partnership with entrepreneurs and the private sector to close down the digital divide,” he added.
Saudi Arabia has also leapfrogged, becoming number 10 globally in terms of internet speed. It also jumped 40 ranks on the sub-index of the digital Infrastructure.
To achieve the goals for the digital economy, Al-Swaha said policymakers need to take action to bridge the digital divide.
“I want to acknowledge the leadership of my peers among the G20 (as they) come together and help the world make the most of the 21st century’s opportunities by empowering people, and focusing on youth and women, and by safeguarding the planet through shifting from a linear economy to the circular economy,” he said.
The minister pointed out that digitalization is as essential to the G20 work as it is to the success of Saudi Vision 2030.
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