ICT

Saudi Arabia is the biggest ICT market in the Middle East, with annual sector spending expected to reach about SR140bn ($37.3bn) by 2017. At a time of shrinking oil revenues, the government has identified ICT as a key driver of smart, cost-effective solutions for government and commerce alike, and as a major pillar of the Kingdom’s long-term development strategy, Vision 2030. However, there are also significant challenges around data security, as well as the need to nurture the human capital required to serve the Kingdom’s rapidly developing digital economy.

This chapter contains interviews with Ahmed Farroukh, CEO, Mobily; and Khalid Balkheyour, President and CEO, Arabsat.