huridocs-tech Internet in Saudi Arabia

Edited/Distributed by HURINet - The Human Rights Information Network
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                 Monday, February 1, 1999

                 Internet in Saudi Arabia

                 RIYADH (AFP) -- Internet access has been
                 made available to the public in Saudi
                 Arabia following a one-month trial, servers
                 in the conservative Gulf Arab Kingdom said
                 Monday.

                 Seven out of 37 licensed servers have
                 started operating, and the number of
                 subscribers is expected to reach 85,000 in
                 the first year alone.

                 During the trial period launched at the end
                 of December, only a limited number of
                 clients were allowed access to the
                 Internet.

                 The servers are all linked to the King
                 Abdel City of Science and Technology in
                 Riyadh, which has a supervisory function
                 and can filter access.

                 It has been hooked up to the Internet since
                 1992, but Saudi authorities have worked to
                 set up a system to block access to sites
                 offensive to Islam, such as pornographic
                 sites, or sites damaging to state security.

                 The Internet is already available in the
                 other five Gulf monarchies, but most of
                 them run through a single proxy server
                 which allows governments to restrict
                 access.





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