UNICEF: 90% of Saudi children use the Internet

An official at the United Nations Children's Organization "UNICEF" confirmed that about 90% of Saudi children use the Internet, noting that the Gulf countries enjoy a significant access rate to the digital space reaching more than 96%.

The National Framework for Children's Online Safety

With a five-year national plan, Saudi Arabia launched the national framework for children's safety on the Internet, in accordance with international standards, at the beginning of the work of the Saudi Family Forum, in its sixth edition, while the Family Affairs Council had prepared the same framework in cooperation with experts from the United Nations Children's Organization.

Al-Tayeb Adam, the representative of the United Nations Children's Organization in the Arab countries in the Gulf, said in press statements, that the children have significant and numerous opportunities for them to acquire knowledge and build their abilities through the use of the Internet, as well as to take advantage of the accelerating digital revolution in refining their minds and building their skills.

Children and the Internet

He explained that the remarkable increase in children's use of the Internet, especially after the pandemic that hit the world, led to the emergence of a set of basic risks, similar to the lack of means of child protection in the digital space, which will expose them to violence and abuse, and even sexual exploitation, stressing the importance of the Saudi move towards formulating a national framework that guarantees safety The kids are on the internet.

The national framework for children's safety on the Internet will increase the means of protecting children from the dangers of cyberspace, and raise the level of awareness and knowledge of cyber security among members of society to protect children's rights, and create an environment that is aware of digital risks.

Children's data

On the other hand, Tayyeb Adam, who is the official at UNICEF, emphasized the UN organization's emphasis on having a statistical team within all national institutions, whose primary task is to pay attention to children's data, as it is, according to his description, very important, pointing out that these data contain challenges in most countries.

And Adam adds as part of the challenges, there are enormous numbers of children's data, but how is it coordinated in order to obtain it so that it fits with the needs of the indicators for sustainable development, as well as how to find the information of good quality as required by the international needs regarding the international commitments and treaties.

Yesterday, Riyadh witnessed the holding of special dialogue sessions within the framework of the work of the Saudi Family Forum, to form a prominent event that brings together experts and those interested in the field of the family, and a platform to exchange experiences and information on family matters to come up with recommendations that contribute to the stability of the family and support its cohesion, and to improve the quality of its life.