Saudi Arabia: Civil Defense to trial Early Warning Messages service for smartphones
Alerts will appear on screens to test the platform this week
Abu Dhabi: First phase trials for the Early Warning Messages in emergencies national platform are to be conducted, the General Directorate of Civil Defense announced.
The trials will take place in the city of Al Baha and the governorates of Huraimla, Al Ayn, Abqaiq, Al Shanan, Bahra, Al Qunfudhah, and Tanuma, starting from Monday February 15 until February 22, at 6pm.
The Civil Defense in cooperation with the Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC), plans to conduct experimental tests using the cellular broadcast service, through which warning messages will be sent with a loud tone.
No reason to panic
The Civil Defense reiterated to citizens and residents that the messages and alerts will appear on the screens of their smartphones to test the platform, and there is no reason to panic or be concerned about it. The alerts will be preceded by text messages specifying the date of their transmission.
The national platform for early warning in emergencies keeps pace with modern technologies, whereby the warning is by text messages in a targeted geographical area to warn its residents of the imminent occurrence of an emergency in the surrounding area, through mobile phones.