King Salman Energy Park signs anchor tenants

King Salman Energy Park signs anchor tenants

RIYADH: Saudi Telecom Co. (STC), the Kingdom's largest mobile network operator, has entered into a partnership with Irish vehicle software firm Cubic Telecom to develop in-car software solutions for Saudi drivers.

As a result of the link up, the software will then also allow STC to easily add a range of in-car services to Saudi vehicles, including an emergency call system which automatically alerts healthcare services in the event of an accident.

Gerry McQuaid, chief commercial officer at Cubic, told Arab News: "Basically we partnered with STC as a premier car integrity partner in Saudi Arabia. We are enabling the customer to benefit from a range of safety, entertainment, and navigation features when they purchase the car.“

Similar to every market, Saudi Arabia had a strict range of regulations for how connectivity was managed, he said, adding that the software partnership would make it easier for features to be added by carmakers and third-party developers.

"I can't give a precise date, but in a not-too-distant future you actually don't need a driving license, the car will actually drive autonomously for the citizens. That is the big difference,“ McQuaid said.

"Already software solutions can support this capability, but it does need important regulations to be introduced