Riyadh—Amlak
The Shura Council, chaired by Council President Sheikh Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Ibrahim Al Sheikh, approved the establishment of a National Information Security Center tasked with protecting technical infrastructure and websites from cyberattacks.
Assistant Speaker Dr. Fahad bin Ma’tad Al-Hamad explained that the Council heard members’ comments and opinions regarding the annual report of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and approved, by a majority vote, the recommendation of the Committee on Transportation, Communications, and Information Technology to task the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, incoordinate with relevant authorities to establish this center.
The Council also approved a request that government agencies use digital certificates issued by the National Center for Digital Certification, which is affiliated with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, The Council also heard the views of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Energy regarding members’ opinions and observations on the annual report of the Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO) and decided to approve a request that SASO, in coordination with relevant authorities,work to activate the role of private laboratories in a way that enables their expansion and multidisciplinary capabilities. It also approved the request for the Authority to adapt its facilities to enable the employment of women in appropriate roles, in accordance with the instructions and orders issued in this regard.
The Council discussed the report of the Foreign Affairs Committee regarding the draft statute of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Center for Emergency Management. The Council approved the regulations by a majority vote, noting that, according to the committee, they represent an important step toward coordination and integration among the GCC member states, and that the time has come to strengthen unity among the member states in emergency situations and to reinforce the Kingdom’s call to move the Council from a phase of cooperation to a phase of union. According to the draft statute, the Center aims to strengthen and coordinate the capabilities and efforts of the GCC member states in the field of emergency management; the Center will be headquartered in the State of Kuwait. Among the Center’s most prominent tasks are identifying and assessing natural and man-made hazards in GCC member states; receiving urgent reports on emergencies; issuing alerts and warnings regarding such incidents; and establishing policies and procedures to coordinate relief operations among GCC member states in a clear and coordinated manner.
The Council also discussed the report of the Housing, Water, and Public Services Committee regarding the draft rules for securing backup sources of electrical power. The committee noted the importance of providing a minimum level of backup electrical power—a requirement met by the draft regulation—but advised against excessive requirements due to the associated costs and the negative impact on the environment, especially since most backup generators rely on diesel fuel. Therefore, it recommended excluding certain facilities and installations that require no more than the amount necessary to illuminate emergency exits. The committee defined the minimum required backup electrical power for certain facilities in the regulation as the amount necessary to illuminate emergency exits and the illuminated exit signs in the event of a general power outage, in accordance with the requirements of the Saudi Building Code and Saudi Standard Specifications.
