The following words and phrases - wherever they appear in this regulation - shall have the meanings specified next to each of them, unless the context indicates otherwise:

• 1- Minister: Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

• 2- Authority: Digital Government Authority.

• 3- Regulation: Regulation of the Authority.

• 4- Council: Board of Directors of the Authority.

• 5- President: President of the Council.

• 6- Governor: Governor of the Authority.

• 7- Digital Transformation: Strategic conversion and development of business models to become digital models based on data, technologies, and communication networks.

• 8- Digital Government: Supporting administrative, organizational, and operational processes within government sectors - and between them - to achieve digital transformation, and to develop, improve, and enable easy and effective access to government information and services.

• 9- Standards: A set of metrics, rules, and controls governing operations and tasks related to digital government adopted by the Authority.

• 10- Government Digital Market Platform: A platform that enables government entities to purchase and provide technical services and assets, such as: software, hardware, communication services, managed services, and cloud services; and to complete purchasing, payment, and receipt operations through the electronic portal for government competitions and procurements.

• 11- Unified National Portal: The national technical platform that provides all digital government services from various sectors through a unified portal and application or through a unified service center according to the strategy for beneficiary access, and serves as a reliable informational reference for all beneficiaries.

• 12- Digital Trust Services: Any electronic service aimed at verifying the validity and integrity of electronic transactions and the identity of the parties involved, including (digital signature, digital seal, timestamp seal) and others.

• 13- License: A document issued by the Authority to a person to provide services in the field of digital government, on behalf of the government agency, in accordance with the controls set by the Authority.

• 14- Service Provider: Provider of digital government services for commercial purposes, licensed by the Authority.

• 1- The Authority enjoys legal personality and financial and administrative independence, and is organizationally linked to the President of the Council of Ministers.

• 2- The main headquarters of the Authority is located in the city of Riyadh, and it may establish branches and offices within the Kingdom by a decision of the Council.

The Authority is the competent body for all matters related to digital government and serves as the national reference in its affairs. It aims to organize the activities of digital government within government entities, in order to achieve a proactive and initiative-driven digital government capable of providing high-quality digital services, and to achieve integration in the field of digital government among all government entities.

Without prejudice to the competencies of the relevant authorities, the Authority shall undertake the following competencies and tasks:

• 1- Approving the policies related to the Authority's activities, and the plans and programs necessary for their implementation, and raising any matters that require completing procedures in this regard.

• 2- Proposing draft laws related to the Authority's competencies, proposing amendments to those in effect, and submitting them for the necessary legal procedures.

• 3- Participating in the preparation of the national strategy for digital government - in coordination with the relevant authorities - in preparation for submitting it in accordance with the applicable legal procedures, and supervising its implementation after approval and establishing its executive plans and monitoring compliance with them.

• 4- Coordinating with the relevant authorities to organize the work of digital government, digital platforms, websites, and services, government networks, and the unified national portal, including developing plans, programs, indicators, and metrics related to digital government operations and shared digital government services, digital trust services in government entities, the government digital market platform, organizing operations, management, and projects related to it, disseminating them to the relevant authorities, and monitoring compliance with them.

• 5- Issuing measurements, indicators, tools, and reports to assess the performance of government entities and their capabilities in the field of digital government, and the satisfaction of beneficiaries regarding it.

• 6- Monitoring the compliance of government entities with the decisions and orders issued regarding digital government transactions, according to the frameworks and standards set by the Authority.

• 7- Governing the operations of the government digital cloud and related clouds in the digital government sector.

• 8- Rationalizing the costs of digital government services, ensuring a better level of service, and establishing the necessary controls in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

• 9- Setting technical standards for digital transformation models in government sectors and monitoring compliance with them, in coordination with the relevant authorities.

• 10- Providing support to government entities regarding digital government services, to adopt and enable modern technologies.

• 11- Contributing to building national specialized capacities in digital government, and participating in the preparation of educational and training programs related to digital government.

• 12- Conducting studies and research in the field of digital government and encouraging investment in it.

• 13- Contributing to the establishment of standard specifications for digital government products, and supervising their application in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

• 14- Providing consultations and services regarding digital government to government entities and the private sector.

For the Authority - in order to achieve its objectives and carry out its competencies and tasks - to take the necessary means to accomplish that, including the following:

• 1- Establishing units affiliated with the Authority to carry out some of its tasks, defining their organizational relationships with the Authority, and determining the means and mechanisms for executing its tasks.

• 2- Communicating with similar entities outside the Kingdom and private entities to exchange experiences, and establishing mechanisms for cooperation and partnership with them in accordance with the applicable legal procedures.

• 3- Requesting any information, data, or reports from ministries and other governmental agencies related to the nature of its work.

• 4- Qualification and licensing to provide trust services, digital identity, and digital government services.

• 5- Collecting the financial fees set for the Authority for any work or service it provides to the private sector in accordance with the regulations.

• 6- Technical classification of digital government service providers according to the type of service provided. 

• 7- Requiring governmental entities to adhere to the technical standards for public devices when contracting to implement projects related to digital government in coordination with the relevant entities.

• 8- Investing the Authority's funds in a manner that achieves its purposes, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

• 9- Organizing and holding workshops, seminars, conferences, and exhibitions inside and outside the Kingdom, and participating in them in areas related to digital government, in accordance with the applicable procedures.

• 10- Notifying the decisions of the Council to the relevant entities directly or in a manner deemed appropriate by the Authority.

The Council is the supreme authority of the entity, responsible for overseeing its affairs, managing it, and conducting its matters. It has the authority to take necessary decisions and procedures to achieve its purposes, and it specifically has the following powers and competencies:

• 1- Approving policies related to the entity's activities, the necessary programs for their implementation, and raising matters that require completing procedures regarding them.

• 2- Proposing draft laws related to the entity's competencies and suggesting amendments to those currently in effect.

• 3- Supervising the entity's execution of the tasks assigned to it.

• 4- Preparing the draft national strategy for digital government and proposals for its updates, in preparation for submission for approval.

• 5- Approving the executive plans for the national strategy for digital government at the national level, updating them, and following up on their implementation after approval.

• 6- Approving the mechanisms, controls, and indicators specific to the entity.

• 7- Approving the organizational structure of the entity.

• 8- Approving administrative regulations, in agreement with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

• 9- Approving financial regulations and provisions with financial implications in the administrative regulations in agreement with the Ministry of Finance.

• 10- Approving internal regulations.

• 11- Approving the controls and standards specific to digital government.

• 12- Approving the conclusion of agreements, protocols, and contracts, according to the applicable legal procedures.

• 13- Approving the establishment of branches and offices for the entity.

• 14- Approving the draft budget of the entity and its final account, the auditor's report, and the annual report in preparation for submission according to the applicable legal procedures.

• 15- Reviewing periodic reports submitted regarding the progress of work in the entity and its financial position, and making decisions deemed appropriate by the Council in this regard.

• 16- Approving the investment of the entity's funds in a manner that achieves its purposes, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

• 17- Approving the financial fees for the services and works provided by the entity.

• 18- Accepting what is offered to the entity in terms of gifts, aids, grants, bequests, donations, and endowments in accordance with the governing provisions.

• 19- Appointing an external auditor and an internal financial controller.

• 20- Forming permanent or temporary committees from the Council members or others, entrusted with tasks deemed appropriate, with each committee's formation decision specifying its chair, members, secretary, and competencies, and allowing it to seek assistance from whom it deems necessary to perform the assigned tasks.

The Council may delegate some of its competencies to its president or to any of its members or employees of the entity as it sees fit.

• 1- The Council meetings are held at the headquarters of the Authority, chaired by the President or a member designated by him. If necessary, they may be held at another location within the Kingdom.

• 2- The Council holds its meetings periodically at least four times a year. The President of the Council may call for a meeting whenever necessary, or whenever at least three members request it. The invitation must be accompanied by an agenda for the meeting.

• 3- The meeting is valid if attended by the majority of the members, including the President or his designee, and decisions are made by a majority of the votes of those present. In the event of a tie, the side that the President of the meeting voted for shall prevail.

• 4- A member of the Council may not abstain from voting nor delegate another member to vote on their behalf in their absence. The dissenting member has the right to record their objection and the reasons for it in the minutes of the meeting.

• 5- The deliberations and decisions of the Council are documented in minutes signed by the President of the hearing and the attending members.

• 6- If necessary and in urgent cases, as deemed appropriate by the President, meetings may be held and votes may be cast remotely using technological means. Decisions may be made by circulation among the members, and they must be signed to indicate that all members have been informed of them. Decisions made in this manner are not considered valid unless they are circulated to all members, voted on by all members, and receive a majority of their votes.

• 7- The Council shall have a Secretary from among the Authority's staff, chosen by the President based on the nomination of the Governor, who will be responsible for the Council's secretariat, preparing for meetings, and recording the minutes, deliberations, and decisions.

• 8- The Council may invite specialists and consultants whom it deems necessary to attend its meetings, without them having the right to vote.

The Authority shall have a Governor at the excellent rank, appointed based on the nomination of the President, who shall be responsible for managing the Authority and conducting its affairs. His responsibilities and powers are concentrated within the limits set forth by the regulations and what the Council decides. He shall, in particular, exercise the following powers:

• 1- Proposing the general policies of the Authority related to its activities, and the plans and programs necessary for their implementation, and submitting them to the Council for approval, and supervising their implementation after approval.

• 2- Supervising the preparation of draft regulations related to the Authority's competencies, and proposing amendments to those in effect.

• 3- Supervising the preparation of the organizational structure of the Authority and its administrative and financial regulations, as well as the regulations necessary for its operations, and submitting them to the Council for approval.

• 4- Supervising the workflow in the Authority in accordance with the powers granted to him and what the regulations specify.

• 5- Disbursing from the approved budget and taking all financial actions in accordance with the approved regulations and the powers delegated to him by the Council.

• 6- Supervising the preparation of the Authority's budget project, the annual report, and the final account project, and submitting them to the Council.

• 7- Signing agreements, protocols, and contracts after the Council's approval, and in accordance with the applicable regulatory procedures.

• 8- Following up on the implementation of decisions issued by the Council, or decisions related to the Authority's work.

• 9- Forming work committees within the Authority (permanent or temporary) in accordance with the regulations and procedures approved by the Authority.

• 10- Seeking the assistance of specialized experts and consultants needed by the Authority, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

• 11- Contracting with employees and workers in the Authority, in accordance with the organizational structure and the financial and administrative regulations approved by the Council.

• 12- Contracting for the execution of works, services, and others, in accordance with the regulations and the powers delegated to him by the Council.

• 13- Representing the Authority before the judiciary and with government entities, institutions, and other relevant bodies, as well as other entities inside and outside the Kingdom, and he may delegate others in this regard.

• 14- Any other competencies assigned to him by the Council.

The Governor may delegate some of his competencies to whomever he sees fit among the Authority's staff.