Ministries ready for second phase of telecom sector Saudization

MOBILE MAINTENANCE: The Technical and Vocational Training Corporation has provided training programs for the physically disabled to qualify for jobs in the telecommunications sector. (SPA)

RIYADH: The Ministries of Interior, Labor and Social Development, Municipal and Rural Affairs, Commerce and Investment, and Telecommunication and Information Technology, will deploy their cadres to follow up on the second phase of nationalyzing the telecommunication sector, which is expected to start on Sept. 3.
Preparations of the relevant ministries come within the implementation of the ministerial resolution which limits work in the telecommunication sector and its affiliated sectors to Saudis. Statistics concerning the nationalization of the sector pointed to the increased number of establishments committed to nationalization, with the number standing at 23,000.
The relevant ministries used practical processes and applications to implement the decision, including inspections targeting the removal of market violators and curbing commercial harboring, to provide suitable job opportunities for national cadres.
The ministries worked hard since the implementation of the ministerial decision, to implement the articles of the decision, with inspection teams from the relevant bodies conducting field visits to various telecommunication locations in the Kingdom that led to the commitment of more than 20,000 establishments, and the monitoring of 3,458 violations, of which, 2,535 have been referred to the penalization committee.
To conform to the decision’s articles, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development and sister entities, represented by the Human Resource Development Fund, the Technical and Vocational Training Corporation, the Social Insurance Organization, and the Saudi Bank for Savings and Credit, provided training courses for around 40,000 people during the first phase of nationalization, which is 50 percent.
Around 22,516 young people graduated from training courses conducted by the ministry, while electronic training was done to reach job seeker in their locations in various parts of the Kingdom — graduates from these courses reached 16,502 people.
Training courses varied between those related to maintenance, customer service, sales or specialized courses to support owners of small establishments to encourage young people to invest and turn from employees into employers. The number of people who passed these courses reached 930 people of whom, 750 were approved as entrepreneurs.
In the same vein, the Ministry of Labor and Social Development called on its clients to cooperate and report any violations through the electronic website, “Together to Monitor.” These calls are dealt with immediately to improve and develop the market and control it. Violations can also be reported through the unified number 19911.
Meanwhile, the Communication and Information Technology Commission announced the introduction of a new license to offer wide band satellite services in the Kingdom. The commission defined the scope of offered services, which are represented in wide band data through satellite, audio communications, added-value services that are related to wide band satellite services.
The commission aims to enhance competition through this license, and provide developed communication services at competitive prices, in addition to increasing the scope of wide band services in the Kingdom, which will cover a larger geographical area.
The commission called on interested people to visit its electronic website to review terms and conditions for acquiring wide band satellite communications.