The rapid advancement of technology made it difficult for the general population to keep up, particularly in terms of the mechanisms of its usage, dealing with it, and addressing its problems, which is why some consumers stood out in the society to offer that. Information and suggestions. And we're going to speak about one of the most notable of these volunteers today.
Samir Abdullah Junaid is a Saudi guy who has been delivering daily information on the Internet through various social media channels since 2013, as well as disseminating awareness information through TV channels and newspapers and providing awareness courses in universities and colleges.
He was appointed as a tech consumer advisor of the consumer advising programme under the Consumer Protection Association in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in exchange for that individual effort, and the Consumer Protection Association is the only association in Saudi Arabia that provides direct advice on technology, either through the Consumer Protection Association's phone or by providing information to respond to inquiries received by the association.
In 2019, Samir Junaid received the Consumer Protection Award for his efforts to raise awareness in the realm of technology, and he was specifically recognised for what was published on his own Twitter account with the handle @SamirJunaid. Regarding his efforts to raise awareness of fraud and scam methods through banking channels to bank customers, whether direct fraud or the creation of fake investment channels that deceive the client into believing he will make money, leading him to inject money into the fake fraudsters' systems, it is rare for a person to devote his time and personal accounts to the field of awareness and advises, instructing society's consumers, and this led to the establishment of meetings and periodic meetings related to technology and cybersecurity awareness, the most recent of which was the fourth awareness meeting entitled Technology and Society, which meant discussing specialists from several countries, including Saudi Arabia and Syria, Egypt, the United States of America, and representatives of companies involved in the same field, and producing a summary that can be used as a reference for others.
The Saudi capital, Riyadh, hired consumer awareness specialists to reinforce their message among merchants, and Samir Junaid was chosen to be a prominent member of this committee as well as a member of the executive team of this committee to implement and follow up on awareness projects and exhibitions that are held under the umbrella of this committee. Using the experience of merchants in the consumer market in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the purpose is to demonstrate the difference between honest and dishonest merchants.
Saudi Arabia is notable for being the number one country in the Middle East in terms of e-commerce operations, as well as the growth of business via the Internet, and the number of users, which has reached 98 percent of the Kingdom's population over the age of 15, which makes Saudi Arabia a target environment for scammers. And this is what Samir Junaid and others concerned with societal awareness regard as every individual's responsibility to counsel individuals in his neighbourhood or even for their awareness messages to transcend beyond the Kingdom's borders. This has been felt in various nations, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, who have used Saudi awareness volunteers' materials to educate their communities. This demonstrates the message's ability to immediately reach and circulate.