Doha, Qatar: The Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) has commenced the gradual launch of the first phase of the Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) initiative, in collaboration with the telecom Service Providers; Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar, and in coordination with the relevant national authorities. The initiative aims to protect consumers, enhance their trust in telecom services, and reduce fraudulent calls.
Under this initiative, the two Service Providers will implement the CNAP for all fixed and mobile voice calls made by legal entities within the country to local mobile numbers belonging to consumers. This includes calls from ministries and government entities, private companies, non-profit organizations, educational and healthcare institutions, associations, as well as banks and financial institutions.
This service is part of a comprehensive national initiative developed by CRA in coordination with Ooredoo Qatar, Vodafone Qatar, and relevant authorities across various local sectors. The initiative aims to enhance trust in phone calls and reduce fraudulent attempts targeting users through the impersonation of legal entities. The new service enables call recipients to identify the official, verified name of the calling entity before answering, allowing them to distinguish immediately between trusted and suspicious calls.
This initiative was launched to protect users from fraudulent calls, which often involve impersonation of legal entities to obtain sensitive personal or financial information. The CNAP service allows users to view the official registered name of the calling entity alongside the phone number in real-time, helping them make an informed decision on whether to accept or reject the call.
In this context, Engineer Ahmad bin Abdulla AlMuslemani, President of the Communications Regulatory Authority, stated, "Mandating the telecom Service Providers to implement the CNAP service establishes the foundations for safe and trusted communication in the State of Qatar. CRA will continue working with relevant stakeholders to develop innovative digital solutions that contribute to building a more secure telecommunications environment."
He added, "This initiative is part of the CRA's strategy to enhance trust and protect consumers, reflecting its commitment to a proactive regulatory approach that serves the public interest and strengthens Qatar’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) ecosystem, in support of the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030."
Further commenting on this collaboration, HE Sheikh Ali bin Jabor bin Mohammad Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Qatar, said, "We are pleased to be part of this joint initiative, which enables us to support the national efforts to develop the telecommunications sector in the country. At Ooredoo Qatar, we adopt the latest technological solutions that place our customers’ interests at the forefront of our priorities, and this initiative stands as a core pillar of what we believe in and work to achieve."
HE Sheikh Hamad Abdulla Jassim Al-Thani, Chief Executive Officer at Vodafone Qatar, commented: "In line with the Qatar National Vision 2030, Vodafone Qatar remains committed to supporting the digital transformation of the country. The implementation of CNAP reflects our dedication to customer safety, secure and reliable communication, and compliance with regulatory requirements."
The first phase will activate the service for all local fixed lines numbers of legal entities, while the second phase will extend it to all local mobile numbers belonging to these entities.
Entities will be automatically enrolled, with an option to opt out, subject to certain conditions, during the second phase for mobile numbers that are not used for public-facing communications.
The service will not be implemented on international calls and calls received by consumers while using international roaming service. It also will not be implemented on outgoing calls from residential landlines and personal mobile numbers.
CRA has worked closely with both Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar, along with the relevant entities, to ensure the secure and fully compliant implementation of the service in line with the approved regulatory frameworks. The caller's name will be displayed according to the entity's officially registered name and will appear in English due to technical limitations that support English only, with a maximum of 25 characters. It is important to note that the contact names saved on a recipient's device will take display priority over the name shown by the service.
This step is part of a series of initiatives launched by CRA to protect consumers and enhance telecom services. CRA has directed Ooredoo Qatar and Vodafone Qatar to implement several measures to combat telecom-related fraud, including caller ID spoofing and sender name spoofing in SMS messages. These directives included deploying technical solutions designed to mitigate such fraudulent activities.
It is worth highlighting that the number of complaints recorded by both telecom Service Providers related to fraudulent calls has dropped by more than 50%, reflecting the effectiveness of these measures in reducing such practices.
CRA will continue to work closely with the telecom Service Providers and the relevant entities to further strengthen these efforts and ensure ongoing consumer protection from fraudulent telecom activities.
