Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: Beyond ONE Saudi Arabia hosted a new edition of its Terrace Talks series in Riyadh, bringing together experts from telecommunications, digital sociology, family counselling and parenting to discuss children’s safety and wellbeing in the digital world.

Held under the theme “Our Children in the Digital World”, the session explored how families, technology companies, educators and wider society can work together to create safer and more positive digital experiences for children.

The discussion followed the July launch of Aman, Virgin Mobile Saudi Arabia’s digital child-protection plans. The service provides child-safety features at the mobile-network level without requiring additional applications or complicated device settings.

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Ahmad Al-Beshri said, “Children today do not experience technology simply as a tool they use. It is part of their social reality. This means that the roles of families, schools and peers in social development are no longer operating in exactly the same way, because technology is now also influencing values, ideas and behaviours.”

The panel discussed emerging challenges linked to artificial intelligence, changing online behaviours and children’s increasing exposure to digital content. Participants emphasised digital literacy, parental awareness and age-appropriate guidance as important elements of protection.

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Marah Ottom said, “Technology is an essential part of our lives, so safety needs to be part of how it is designed, not simply an additional feature. Parents do not want something complicated. They need simple, practical solutions that help them play their own role.”

The session concluded with a shared focus on moving from control towards empowerment, combining practical parental tools with stronger digital awareness, open family dialogue and technology designed with safety in mind.