Saudi Information Ministry launches array of new digital services

November 21, 2016

Riyadh, Nov 21: Minister of Culture and Information Adel Al-Toraifi on Sunday inaugurated six new electronic services for citizens and employees.

digitals

The services use the latest developments in the field of information technology and ensure an efficient e-governance to better manage the ministry’s works and services, a senior official at the ministry said.

The new online services include the system for media licenses, for reporting media violations, for publication of books and printing materials, for advertisements in Umm Al-Qura (Official Gazette of Saudi Arabia), for events and exhibitions, and the ministry’s website and electronic applications.

The new e-system devised for media licenses targets all media licenses issued by the ministry including registration services for issuance of new and renewal of existing licenses.

The entire process will be monitored online from the time of application, and throughout the stages of document verification and approval. It will include an electronic payment system, if the license requires such, and then allow for the issuance of renewal of licenses electronically.

It will also include notices issued to beneficiaries through SMSs.

For the system for publication of books and printing materials, an electronic service will be offered to authors and publishing houses regarding the issuance of licenses for the publication of books and printed materials, their printing, and their distribution in the Kingdom.

The system allows beneficiaries to submit publications electronically, monitor comments of reviewers regarding such publications, and amend them, if required, and complete necessary procedures electronically for the issuance of printing permission.

The system for events and exhibitions allows for issuance of licenses for events held throughout the Kingdom, and contains all information and conditions that must be met.

The system also includes a group of procedures and electronic steps that must be followed, such as the notice and involvement of internal and external stakeholders.

Furthermore, it provides a platform for beneficiaries through which they can quickly and easily monitor requests, in addition to informational services to help in identifying requests and cases, without visiting the ministry’s building in person.

The system for reporting media violations is an electronic system that will allow for easy reporting of media violations. The report passes through a verification phase and correspondence is issued electronically to the plaintiff and the defendant regarding the report.

When all necessary evidence is provided, the report is transformed as a case to concerned committees.

The system also provides a number of services such as the provision of notices about dates of sessions and hearings, and a means for inquiring about feedback on cases and case information.

The new services on advertisements in Um Al-Qura include an electronic system for publishing government and private announcements, tenders and competitions, and provide an electronic payment option upon completion of necessary procedures and obtaining approval. Payment can be made through Sadad, if such a service requires payment.

With these new online services, the ministry’s website has completely been overhauled and updated to include all systems and applications, and to serve as reference for all the ministry’s news and activities.

The website also serves as an electronic reference for all the ministry’s regulations and regulations of the related authorities, while smartphone applications were enhanced and developed for iOS and Android operating systems.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Dubai, Apr 11: Saudi Arabia has reported another 382 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,033, the Ministry of Health announced on Saturday.

The ministry also confirmed five more deaths from the virus, pushing the death toll in Kingdom to 52.

A total of 35 people has made full recovery from the deadly disease, taking the tally of patients recovered to 720.

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News Network
May 3,2020

Dubai, May 3: Over 150,000 Indians in the UAE, who wish to return home amid the coronavirus lockdown, have applied through the online registration process to the Indian missions here, according to media reports.

The Indian missions in the country last week opened online registration for the expatriates who wish to fly back home after getting stuck in the country amidst the lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of 6 pm on Saturday, we received more than 150,000 registrations, Consul General of India in Dubai Vipul told the Gulf News on Saturday.

A quarter of them want to return to their homeland after losing their jobs, he said.

According to a report in the Khaleej Times on Sunday, about 40 per cent of the applicants who have registered are blue-collared workers and 20 per cent are working professionals.

"Roughly 20 per cent have suffered job losses and about 55 per cent of the total applicants are from Kerala," Neeraj Aggarwal, Consul, Press, Information, Culture was quoted as saying in the report.

Aggarwal said that the figures would change as they are expecting registrations from workers from other states, including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.

About 10 per cent of the applicants are visit and tourist visa holders who got stranded here due to the ongoing lockdown in India.

India extended the ongoing lockdown by two weeks from May 4 to contain the spread of the coronavirus that has affected nearly 40,000 people in the country.

Aggarwal said that a small number of the applications constitute those from pregnant women and other medical cases.

Since the online registration process was launched, the Consulate's website crashed several times due to the heavy rush of applicants wishing to register to fly back home.

The site has been working fine now though it took a lot of time for it to stabilise in the initial phase due to the heavy traffic, the counsel general said.

He said that the missions here have not yet received any information from the Indian government about the mode of transport of the stranded citizens, the prices of the tickets or how the COVID-19 test results of applicants would be assessed for their journey.

There are high-level discussions going on regarding these things, he said in the report.

Meanwhile, Norka (The Non Resident Keralites Affairs) said it has received a total of 398,000 applications from Keralites across the globe who wish to return home.

"Of which, the highest numbers are from the UAE. At least 175,423 applicants have signed up from the UAE," Norka said in an official statement on Saturday.

It also received 54,305 registrations from Saudi Arabia, 2,437 from the UK, 2,255 from the US, and 1,958 from Ukraine from those who wish to return to India, the Khaleej Times reported.

The coronavirus has infected 13,599 people and claimed 119 lives in the UAE, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said on Saturday.

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News Network
March 18,2020

Dubai, Mar 18: Emirates, one of the world's biggest international airlines, has asked pilots to take unpaid leave to help it mitigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic that has shattered demand for global travel.

"To this end you are strongly encouraged to make use of this opportunity to volunteer for additional paid and unpaid leave," the airline said in an internal email to pilots, seen by Reuters.

Emirates earlier this month asked some staff to take unpaid leave, although at that time it was not available to pilots.

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