Saudi Arabia plans to launch alternative national platform to Whatsapp within a year

Saudi Arabia is currently developing an Instant Messaging Platform as an alternative to WhatsApp. The new app is expected to launch within a year.

The platform is currently being developed by Saudi researchers and will be fully secure and equipped with encryption algorithms, free of any security vulnerabilities, said Dr. Basil Al Omair, director of the National Center for Information Security in King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.

 “Most commercial applications may be stored in external servers and are controlled by foreign agencies and may contain back doors that are difficult to discover. The advantage of the application, which is designed by 100 percent national talent, is that it guarantees it is free from any back doors and guarantees its confidentiality,”

Al Omair said.

 The platform is currently in the trial phase and will be launched within a year.

The messaging platform is currently aimed at government agencies, institutions and companies and not average users.

The platform aims to eliminate the risks of storing confidential and sensitive information and files on servers outside the kingdom and protecting them as required. The platform can also be installed on several types of systems and devices, including desktop computers running on Windows and smart phones with various operating systems available.