Kuwait Strengthens National Emergency Preparedness with New Mobile Alert System
The system enables authorities to send geo-targeted emergency notifications directly to mobile phones in affected areas using Cell Broadcast technology, recognizable by its distinctive alert tone and full-screen message display.
Intersec, a global leader in innovative national public safety solutions, announced the rapid deployment of Kuwait’s national public warning system in under ten days, in response to the country’s urgent security needs amid the ongoing regional conflict in the Middle East.
This announcement is made on the sidelines of the ITU’s Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR-26), where Early Warning for All (EW4All) is at the heart of regulators’ priorities, and just ahead of World Telecommunication and Information Society Day on May 17 – a timely reminder of the critical role mobile network operators play in protecting lives.
Selected by Communication and Information Technology Regulatory Authority (CITRA), and the mobile operators in Kuwait, Intersec was tasked with delivering an express rollout of a nationwide alerting system, both at the public safety authorities level and across the country’s three mobile network operators: Zain, Ooredoo, and STC. The system enables authorities to send geo-targeted emergency notifications directly to mobile phones in affected areas using Cell Broadcast technology, recognizable by its distinctive alert tone and full-screen message display.
What sets this project apart is the unprecedented speed of deployment. While such nationwide systems typically require several months to implement, Intersec in cooperation with CITRA and mobile operators in Kuwait successfully delivered a fully operational solution in less than ten days. CITRA’s role was instrumental in orchestrating the cooperation between the Public Safety Authority, the three mobile operators, and Intersec. To meet the urgency, Intersec initially deployed the system within its secure cloud environment in France, while continuing parallel efforts to establish local infrastructure in Kuwait.
The system aims to strengthen early warning capabilities by ensuring reliable alerts reach mobile users during emergencies, reflecting CITRA commitment to delivering dependable emergency communications. The system includes four alert levels: national warning alerts with a high emergency tone, emergency alerts with a text tone, general alerts with silent notifications, and periodic informational messages.
“Exceptional circumstances require exceptional teamwork. All teams worked around the clock, and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved together. We selected Intersec for its proven experience in deploying such systems across multiple countries, as well as its innovative approach it proposed to meet the ten-day challenge, and they have not disappointed.”
– Eng. Abdullah Alawadh, Head of Security Operation Centre, CITRA
This success is a proof for all countries which face urgent risks that a fast-track solution exists. In critical situations, even a few minutes can make the difference between safety and danger. Public warning systems have already demonstrated their effectiveness worldwide, and as the EW4All initiative urges countries to build robust early warning systems by 2027, the Kuwait deployment shows that the technology, the expertise, and the right partners – mobile network operators – are already there to make it happen fast.
