No confirmation on integration of Absher and Tawakkalna apps

Despite media reports affirming that Saudi Arabia is planning to integrate its giant Absher platform with its innovative Tawakkalna application into one service, nothing official has been issued.

With Saudi Arabia keen to protect its citizens and residents against the spread of COVID-19, the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority developed Tawakkalna in order to support government efforts to curb the virus.

The launch of Tawakkalna also came in support of government agencies to enable them to issue electronic permits, and help millions of citizens and residents take advantage of nearly 30 services, including many features that, for instance, allow users to preview their Hajj and Umrah permits, preview ID documents and others.

The app was developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and all relevant authorities, helping to reduce the spread of the pandemic in the Kingdom. With the return of students to schools in the Kingdom, life has noticeably returned to normal, a decision that could not have been taken without the help of technology.

More than 23 million users have used Tawakkalna since the app was launched in May 2020. The number is increasing as a result of the government’s decision in late 2020 to make the app mandatory for all people in the country to enter worksites, shops, and malls.

In May 2021, Tawakkalna was selected among the top applications in the e-health category during the 2021 World Summit on the Information Society Prizes.  

Absher, meanwhile, was incorporated as a Saudi electronic platform to provide services to millions of Saudi citizens and residents within the Kingdom.

The interactive platform, provided by the Saudi Ministry of Interior, is the leading platform in providing e-services in Saudi Arabia. Its services include three main divisions: Absher Individuals, Absher Business and Absher Government.

The MoI recently announced that the platform served 23 million users who carried out more than 85 million operations in 2021. The ministry added that the platform’s technical support received more than 1.5 million calls over the year.

Last year, Absher contributed to raising the quality of life of citizens, residents and visitors, facilitated access to more than 330 services and linked viewers with more than 80 government and private entities.

The online Absher service was introduced to increase productivity and promote more efficient work practices within government departments, while raising customer satisfaction levels. A smartphone app was added in 2015.