The apps that helped keep Saudis safe
The Kingdom launched new digital services, and improved existing ones, to help tackle the pandemic
As part of its efforts to contain the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, Saudi Arabia launched a set of new applications, as well as improving existing apps, to provide various health care services to its residents.
At the Riyadh Global Digital Health Summit in August, Saudi Minister of Health Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said pandemic preparedness and digital health had been key priorities for the Kingdom, and that technology had been the primary weapon in the battle against COVID-19. He said Saudi Arabia had “capitalized on many of (its) existing digital applications that offer artificial intelligence components in tackling this pandemic,” playing a fundamental role in supporting health emergency management. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) has launched three new apps: Tetamman (Rest Assured), Tabaud (Social Distancing), and Tawakkalna, in addition to a new version of the Sehhaty app.
Tetamman was launched in April and developed in the early days of the pandemic. The app allows users to book an appointment for a COVID-19 test, follow up on the results, conduct a self-assessment
of their health, manage their isolation period, access accurate educational material and more. It has helped to facilitate mass testing plans, including drive-through testing stations in 17 cities across the Kingdom, receiving over 2.7 million beneficiaries to date. Tawakkalna, an app developed by the National Information Center and launched in April, provided a number of important services, including accessing temporary permits. Users surpassed 7 million over four months, with three new services added this month including an alert status, safe gathering management and dependent care for adults to monitor children. Users can also report suspected cases of COVID19, with the app available in English, Arabic, Bengali, Filipino, Hindi, Indonesian and Urdu.
The MOH launched the Tabaud app in June to help people identify cases in proximity to them, by sending encrypted data to smartphones running the app, using Bluetooth technology to detect other nearby smartphones with it. Sehhaty enables users to access medical e-services provided by different organizations, including COVID-19 test booking and prescription tracking.
It also promotes a healthy lifestyle through an integrated steps tracker. Other systems activated include the 937 health care number and the Seha and Mawid apps, launched in 2017, to allow users to receive medical consultations from accredited specialists, and to book appointments at public health centers. By September, the number of 937 calls grew to 17.73 million, while Seha app downloads exceeded 1.5 million.