Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST)

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) is the Saudi government body that regulates and oversees the Kingdom's telecommunications, space and technology sectors. It was established in 2001 as the Communications Commission, later became the Communications and Information Technology Commission, and in 1444 AH the Council of Ministers widened its remit to cover the space and technology sectors alongside telecommunications, giving it its present name.

CST sets regulatory frameworks, issues licences, manages the radio frequency spectrum and orbital slots with the international coordination they require, raises service quality and protects the rights of beneficiaries, and enables investment and innovation across its three sectors in line with Saudi Vision 2030. It delivers e-services through the Mutasil platform and founded the Digital Regulatory Academy for regulatory training.

The commission represents the Kingdom in the relevant international bodies, foremost the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), with which it co-organises global events hosted in Riyadh — among them the Global Space Connectivity and Sustainability Event, which brings the international Non-Terrestrial Networks forum and the Space Sustainability Forum under one umbrella. CST also runs capability-building and entrepreneurship programmes in space and technology such as the SpaceUp competition, and holds global research competitions with international partners including the IEEE. Its headquarters are in the Al Nakheel district of Riyadh and its unified number is 19966.