RIYADH: The Tawakkalna app has been awarded the United Nations Public Service Award 2022 for institutional resilience and innovative responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The award ceremony took place at an annual forum that recognizes distinguished figures in public service who work to achieve sustainable development goals. Dr. Abdullah bin Sharaf Alghamdi, President of the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), said that receiving the award illustrated the Crown Princes leadership and Chairman of the SDAIAs Board of Directors unwavering support for the various initiatives launched by SDAIA to improve government collaboration and maximize the benefits of AI. Dr. Alghamdi also emphasized SDAIAs global and national accomplishments, as well as the efforts of national experts, which have propelled the Kingdom to the forefront of technological and digital fields. HIGH LIGHT The SDAIA developed and launched Tawakkalna to support the efforts of the Saudi government to confront the COVID-19 pandemic by managing the process of granting permits for leaving home during the lockdown phase, which helped limit the spread of the virus. Dr. Alghamdi stated that SDAIAs advanced infrastructure reflected the Kingdoms determination to achieve the Vision 2030 goals. Tawakkalna was launched by SDAIA to assist the government in combating COVID-19. The application managed the process of granting permits electronically during the curfew for government and private sector employees, as well as individuals, at the height of the pandemic. This aided in limiting the viruss spread. Tawakkalna then added pandemic-related services like health passport verification, COVID-19 test and vaccine services, reviewing health travel requirements, and managing travel requirements. SDAIA recently launched Tawakkalna Services, a secure digitally-enabled application that provides various e-services that facilitate all aspects of peoples daily lives in Saudi Arabia.