The Saudi Arabian, Digital Government Authority announced on LinkedIn, that it has issued open source software licenses to 49 governmental agencies in the Kingdom. As per the announcement, the move is to enhance opportunities to reuse government software and achieve the purpose of the KSA government software regulation rules.
In February 2022 The Saudi Digital Government Authority (DGA) governor Ahmed Mohammed Al Suwaiyan announced that open-source government software was expected to contribute US$1.3 billion to Saudi Arabia’s digital economy between the years 2023 to 2026.
He had noted that this would in turn, create 2,000 job opportunities.
The open-source government software strategy was launched by the DGA in November 2021.
In June 2022, the Saudi government gave three companies licenses for the first time to provide digital government services. The Digital Government Authority provided the “first package” of interim licenses to the Saudi sovereign wealth fund-owned Elm for Information Security, Takamol Business Services and Thiqah, another business solutions provider.
The licenses formalize the companies’ provision of digital services in conjunction with Saudi government entities. For example, Takamol operates Saudi Arabia’s National Donation Platform, which manages charitable donations throughout the kingdom.
