RIYADH (AFP) - – Saudi Arabia's telecommunication regulator said Tuesday that it has ordered a suspension of BlackBerry services starting on Friday as the manufacturer of the devices has failed to meet its demands.

The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) said that "the way BlackBerry services are provided currently does not meet the regulatory criteria of the commission and the licensing conditions," in a statement carried by state news agency SPA.

It said that it has asked the kingdom's three providers to suspend BlackBerry services starting on Friday after it had given them a grace period to get the manufacturer of the devices, Research In Motion (RIM), to "meet the regulatory demands."