The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), Saudi Arabia's telecommunications regulator, has announced the release of a public consultation on its proposed regulation of cloud computing. The primary objective of the proposed new regulations is to create a favorable environment to foster the provision and development of cloud computing services in the Kingdom. In common with other nations, Saudi Arabia's companies and citizens are increasingly reliant on cloud services. Potential risks include confidentiality, reliability and national security. To address some of these concerns, and to increase IT investor and business confidence, CITC is seeking to clarify the rules covering the provision of cloud computing services. CITC's public consultation proposes to establish a basic set of mandatory requirements for cloud service providers. Provisions also include voluntary and mandatory licensing of cloud providers based on the size of their business. CITC believes these proposed measures will encourage the development of cloud services in Saudi Arabia, and further extend the Kingdom's role as a regional hub for cloud services. The public consultation document on the proposed Regulation for Cloud Computing is available on CITC's website (www.citc.gov.sa) Comments may be submitted to CITC by the public, companies or other interested parties by various methods including email. This public consultation closes at 2 p.m. (Riyadh time) on Sept. 18, 2016.
