E-Participation
This section highlights ongoing efforts and initiatives that the Government has introduced in relation to e-Participation. Here, the Government commitment and efforts towards greater citizens engagement and the importance of the citizens' voice are presented through the Government statement on e-Participation and the message for all citizens and stakeholders in the Kingdom. The various government and social media platforms for public consultations for laws, regulations and policies may be found in this section. This includes the Watani Platform, the Kingdoms service evaluation platform, and the Tawasel Platform for engagement and communications with the Kingdom leadership. For entrepreneurs and the private sector information and links to the Private Sector Feedback Platform, and the Fikra online platform, managed by the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority in the Kingdom is available. Lastly, the national guidelines for using e-Participation tools are published.
eParticipation Statement
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, your opinion matters! We recognise the importance of interactive communication and constructive dialogue between the government and citizens, the business sector, and all other parties as an essential precondition to achieving the objectives of Vision 2030. Digital engagement and participation are of great importance as communication channels that allow you, the citizens, to express your ideas, opinions and suggestions on specific topics relevant to our society. The Government is eager to hear your voice and foster your participation. We count on you to provide us with innovative ideas and constructive suggestions to help us increase the quality of the legislation, policies, strategies, initiatives, and services.
Consultations
To be part of the decision-making process, we enable you to put your best foot forward and share your opinions and ideas about upcoming laws, economic projects, and developmental affairs in the Kingdom, both current and future, before they are approved and implemented.
Government entities are seeking your thoughts and views and those of citizens and residents, civil society, and the public and private sectors on various laws, regulations, policies, strategies and initiatives.
You can share your feedback and opinions in various questionnaires regarding the Portal services via the e-Participation Platform (Tafaul) and supporting regulations via the Public Consultation Platform for Laws and Regulations (Istitlaa). Besides, having access to consulting and joint development results in policymaking and regulations.
Feedback
We strive to meet your needs and provide time-saving solutions. By sharing your rating of all digital government services and information and providing us with your feedback and complaints, we are able to improve your experiences and raise the efficiency of the information and services provided to you.
Service Rating
Achieving an enriching experience is our goal, and you are part of achieving this goal. The rating of your experiences with Saudi government agencies is an essential part of working to improve and develop them into a service that satisfies you. You can evaluate the services and platforms, submit complaints and feedback, and contribute to improving your experience. Please visit the e-Participation Platform (Tafaul) or the Service Evaluation Platform (Watani) to leave your feedback.
Information Rating
We strive to provide you with sufficient information and a fulfilling experience! Share your assessment of the information available on government agency pages related to sufficiency and effectiveness and view all previous related statistics. You can find more information on the e-Participation Platform (Tafaul).
Complaints
We strive for your satisfaction. By sharing your evaluation of all digital government services and information, we will use them to improve your experience and raise the efficiency of what is provided to you. Contact us and share your information, knowing that your message will be shared with the highest privacy standards. You can also submit your complaints about various sectors and services:
If you have any concerns or complaints about the work of any government agency that did not provide you with a good quality service, please submit your complaint on the Platform for communication with the Leadership (Tawasel).
Co-Creation and Innovative Ideas
With your innovations, we grow, and with your creative ideas, we achieve!
Share your innovative solutions that will contribute to the challenges faced by the public and private sectors. Be part of the change we aim to achieve through our Kingdom’s Vision 2030 of greatness and prosperity.
Challenges
Be part of the challenges, participate in the excitement, and contribute to the growth and stimulation of your community! You can find more information about the current and the upcoming challenges on the
Participation (Tafaul) Platform.
e-Participation Platforms
The e-Participation Platform (Tafaul) developed by the
Digital Government Authority (DGA) aims to engage citizens and residents, civil society, and the public and private sectors in Consultation, Feedback and Co-creation. The Platform aims to enable you to share your views on upcoming policies, strategies and initiatives consultations, provide feedback on government information and services, and participate in co-creating innovative solutions and services.
The Public Consultation Platform for Laws and Regulations (Istitlaa), developed by the
National Competitiveness Center (NCC), seeks your thoughts and views, those of citizens and residents, civil society, and the public and private sectors on government laws and regulations before they are approved. The Platform aims to enable you to share your views and feedback on upcoming legislation and projects related to economic and development affairs in Saudi Arabia. The Platform contains all
current (open) and
future (planned) proposals and encourages you to share your opinion and thoughts on proposals before their approval. You will also find the outcomes of
past (archived) consultations on the Public Consultation Platform for Laws and Regulations (Istitlaa).
The Watani Platform is a national platform that enables you, the citizen, resident or visitor, to evaluate the services of government agencies. Watani allows you to share your experience of Saudi government services and provide suggestions on how to improve them. Your evaluation contributes to a national service performance
dashboard that officials and decision-makers use to improve the quality of government services.
The Public Sector Feedback Platform is the national platform enabling you, the entrepreneur or private sector representative, to provide ideas and feedback on government regulations and processes. Officials and decision-makers use your suggestions to improve the business environment and ease of doing business in Saudi Arabia.
The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, is keen to provide and facilitate easy access for all citizens to government services. The Tawasel Platform, managed by the Royal Court, enables citizens to send complaints and suggestions about any government agency, to help improve service quality.
Social Media Channels
All government entities are using their social media pages to engage with citizens and businesses. You can subscribe to or follow the government entities’ pages on social media to receive on-time, verified and reliable information. You can also use social media to participate in public consultations, share your views and opinions on different topics, or vote on the current open surveys.
Vulnerable Groups
E-Participation measures for women and other vulnerable groups
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia makes all necessary efforts to ensure digital inclusion and digital participation for all its citizens and residents, including vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, women, youth, elderly, migrants, etc. All citizens and residents, including women and other vulnerable groups, can actively participate in the open consultations and polls or share their innovative ideas with the government using the existing government portals. They can share their views and opinions on general topics or issues targeting vulnerable groups (e.g. social protection, education, health, employment).
E-Participation counselling for women and other vulnerable groups
Based on the Kingdom's enthusiasm to preserve the rights of all citizens and residents of all groups, the Kingdom has put in place laws and legislations that protect the less privileged groups of society. The Kingdom has issued legislations related to the rights of women, children, the elderly, people with special needs, the sick and others in the areas of health, education, work, and so on to ensure a decent life for all, which is stipulated in the Basic Law of Governance.
In the era of information technology, it has become necessary to issue new legislation and regulations that suit modern life today, including legislation for the weakest groups in society with regard to electronic participation to obtain the opinions of the public, including these groups, regarding government services, regulations and procedures.
Below is an overview of a few examples of the public opinions on consultation laws, regulations, policies, and services, which are aimed at or include women and other less privileged groups in society, such as people with special needs, children, the elderly, immigrants, and others:
In regard to women:
In regard to people with special needs:
Regulations for citizens’ engagement
e-Consultations Regulations
To enable citizens’ engagement and impose mandatory consultations on new legislative proposals, the Council of Ministers adopted decision
No.(476) dated 15/7/1441 H mandating the National Competitiveness Center to establish a Rules and Regulations Support Unit in the centre to perform the following tasks:
- Establishing and supervising the unified electronic platform to solicit the opinions of the public and government agencies.
- Preparing survey forms, evaluating the effects, and circulating them to government agencies.
- Provide notes and visuals about the results of the survey to the project owner, if it requests it.
- Awareness and dissemination of the culture of the survey of the importance of participating in evaluating the regulatory effects on the projects of laws and regulations and the like.
For more information, please click here.
Citizens’ voice as input for Government decisions
The Government is dedicated to hearing the voice of its citizens. After finishing the consultative processes, all government entities are obliged to produce and publish a summary report which will provide evidence of how the voice of the citizens was reflected in the new legislation, policy or other decisions.
Guidelines for Government Entities
To facilitate a culture of engagement in the Kingdom the Guidelines for Using the e-Participation Tools in Saudi Arabia Government Agencies provides instructions and tools for government entities on how to use community participation tools, including social media. It is a result of a collaborative effort between the Digital Government Authority and a wide range of government agencies, academic institutions, private-sector entities, and civil society, whose participation in feedback and expertise was of great importance in accomplishing these guidelines.
Current and Upcoming Events
For current or future E-participation events, please click here.