RIYADH, 23 October — The entry of the Kingdom into the world of e-commerce using mobile phones will open a vast horizon of investment opportunities to Saudis, according to a top official of the ministry of commerce.
Dr. Fawaz Al-Alami, undersecretary for technical matters at the Commerce Ministry, told Arab News on Sunday on the sidelines of a conference on e-commerce and the use of WAP service organized by Ericsson, that “the Kingdom refuses to be sidestepped in the area of technological progress, as it is very keen to reap the benefits of all modern achievements.”
Al-Alami hoped that the new e-commerce technology would also multiply the number of mobile-based Internet users in the Kingdom. He thanked Ericsson for its efforts in bringing mobile-supported technology to the Kingdom.
The e-commerce market is estimated to be worth $23 billion by 2003.
Yan Martin Dylan, senior director of the mobile solution projects in the Ericsson company in Holland, said the mobile e-commerce offers an unlimited number of services including accessing one’s bank account with perfect secrecy. It helps find more investment opportunities, provides general information, hassle-free payment of bills and commercial operations.
Dylan also stressed that the new technology was capable of transforming people’s lifestyles. The success of the technology will also attract annually four times as much subscribers to use mobile phones, he said. This is more relevant to the Kingdom, a vast country where the mobile use is widespread. The new generation of mobile phones will be more popular because they enable the use of picture with voice.
He added that the investments in the sector, which merged e-commerce with mobile phones, would make quick profits through network fees, service charges, advertising fees, commission from business deals through mobiles etc.
The banking sector will also profit from the service. Customers can make faster payments once the infrastructure is ready.
