IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

This MENA region includes nations like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which are at the forefront of digital innovation and development. Even though the MENA area is known for its political tensions on a global scale, it has managed to lead the way in technological advancement and digital transformation. The density or penetration of the internet has reached close to 100% in many countries of the MENA region. This demonstrates how the area continues to compete on a worldwide scale in both technology and business. The Middle East cloud apps industry is something to keep an eye on since tech collaboration in these areas appears to be at an all-time high.

Future Market Insights (FMI), with sharp focus on emerging regions, delivers key insights on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital transformation market in its recent report titled “Digital Transformation Market: MENA Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 – 2020”. The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10% to 16% by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

High-speed 5G networks and Cloud data centers are giving digital efforts across the region a big boost.

A5G-enabled digital boom across the Gulf is expected to generate $28 billion in revenues by 2023, as mobile data traffic soars, according to the Ericsson Mobility Report. The fifth-generation high-speed Internet will enable automated machinery for factories and remote monitoring of oil wells.

The Namibian government said Monday it is underway with the crafting of an electronic transaction and cybercrime bill to provide a framework for the promotion of electronic transactions in government services and private contracts. said the press release.

"Namibia endeavored to put legislation in place governing the electronic transaction and related cyber security issues," Ministry of Information and Communication Technology's Permanent Secretary Mbeuta Ua-Ndjarakana said in a press release.

Saudi Arabia ranked first in the Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index for 2023, issued by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). The Kingdom maintained its lead for the second consecutive year with a high maturity score of 93 percent in the overall index result.

Eng. Ahmed Alsuwaiyan, governor of Digital Government Authority, said that this international achievement reflects the outcomes of the efforts made by government agencies in digital transformation. It is also the manifestation of the great support that the digital government ecosystem receives from the wise leadership, to achieve the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 programs in building a digital society and investing in new technologies to increase productivity, achieve efficiency, and provide the best experience for all beneficiaries.

Abu Dhabi has been ranked the “Smartest City in the MENA Region” for the second consecutive year in the annual IMD-SUTD Smart City Index (SCI) released today in collaboration between the IMD (Institute for Management Development) World Competitiveness Center and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).

According to the new report, Abu Dhabi has risen 14 places to 28th in the global smart cities ranking. Almost 15,000 city dwellers were surveyed in 118 cities around the world. They were asked about the performance of their respective cities in terms of health and safety, mobility, activities, work and school, and governance.

Abu Dhabi’s ranking is credited to the emirate’s infrastructure and digital services available to residents

Abu Dhabi has been named the smartest city in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region for the year 2023 in the IMD Smart City Index released by the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).

The study, which IMD developed with the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), surveyed 120 residents in 118 cities worldwide.

ICT infrastructure constitutes the fundamental foundation of these people-centered cities and responds to changing economic, cognitive, and social conditions more effectively and immediately than traditional cities

Revolutionizing the idea of urban planning and development, smart cities are currently emerging as a symbol of advancement in the modern era. Hailed as the next frontier in the future of living, smart cities are backed by numerous technological breakthroughs and innovations, all of which aim to improve the quality of life of citizens and promote economic growth. The primary goal of smart cities is to provide a technologically advanced environment that fosters innovation and education while also placing a significant emphasis on sustainability. ICT infrastructure constitutes the fundamental foundation of these people-centered cities and responds to changing economic, cognitive, and social conditions more effectively and immediately than traditional cities.

The digital transformation investments in Africa, the Middle East, and Türkiye, are predicted to double across the 2022–2026 period.

This is according to the latest forecast from International Data Corporation.

The global technology research, consulting, and events firm says spending in the region will accelerate at a compound annual growth rate of 16 percent over the five-year period, topping $74 billion in 2026 and accounting for 43 percent of all information and communications technology investments made that year.

The Middle East is currently experiencing a digital transformation that promises significant economic and social growth. Governments, businesses and individuals in the MENA region are increasingly embracing technology to improve their processes, enhance their services and connect with customers and stakeholders.

What you need to know is that both hurdles and prospects lie ahead for investors ready to pioneer the Middle East's digital transformation.

Future Market Insights (FMI), with sharp focus on emerging regions, delivers key insights on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital transformation market in its recent report titled “Digital Transformation Market: MENA Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020”. The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10% to 16% by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

Future Market Insights (FMI), with sharp focus on emerging regions, delivers key insights on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital transformation market in its recent report titled "Digital Transformation Market: MENA Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 - 2020". The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10% to 16% by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

Dagang NeXchange Bhd (DNeX) and Ajlan & Bros Holding Group have teamed up to "revolutionise" smart cities integration and large IT projects in Saudi Arabia as well as other countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Both companies signed an agreement to establish a joint-venture company for the purpose on Thursday during Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's three-day official visit to the kingdom.

Future Market Insights (FMI) delivers key insights on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital transformation market in its recent report titled MENA Digital Transformation Market – Market Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2014 – 2020.

The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a double-digit CAGR from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10 per cent to 16 per cent by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

These are exciting times for MENA’s online industry. Traditional sectoral investors are starting to worry about the impact of low oil prices, a potential slowdown in construction and real-estate, and eroding margins in telecom and banking. On the other hand, online businesses continue to thrive thanks to high demand and adoption of transactional services, as well as the transformation of the “always on” generation into household decision makers and holders.

MENA Internet providers have experienced 15 years of nonstop growth, bringing faster and cheaper services to users who are steadily migrating from desktop computers to smartphones to access the web. This has created a fertile environment for the creation of disruptive business models, driven by 175 million Internet users who are willing to pay for the increased comfort and convenience the Internet brings to their lives.

According to the latest findings by Gartner, governments in the Middle East and North Africa will spend USD 11.97 billion on IT products and services in 2015, an increase of 0.4 percent over 2014 spending of USD 11.92 billion.

This forecast includes spending on internal services, software, IT services, data centre, devices and telecom services. Government comprises local government and national government.

Telecom services, which include fixed and mobile telecom services, will be the largest overall spending category throughout the forecast period within the government sector. It is expected to be USD 5.2 billion in 2015– led by growth in mobile network services.

Future Market Insights (FMI), with sharp focus on emerging regions, delivers key insights on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) digital transformation market in its recent report titled “Digital Transformation Market: MENA Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment 2014 – 2020”. The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10% to 16% by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

The MENA IT market is anticipated to grow at a single-digit CAGR during the forecast period. In contrast, the MENA digital transformation market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.1% from 2014 to 2020. The contribution of the MENA digital transformation market to the overall MENA IT market is likely to increase from 10% to 16% by 2020, witnessing an increase of 600 BPS.

Growth of the MENA digital transformation market is mainly driven by increasing need for enhanced customer experience at all levels of customer interaction points and improvised process transparency in enterprises across the countries in this region. Moreover, countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon are increasingly introducing e-Government and smart city initiatives, with the objective to transform themselves into digitally-enabled countries. This is further supporting growth of the MENA digital transformation market.

Internet users in the Mena region comprise 5.2 per cent of the world's users and numbered 85.5 million in 2008, compared to 16 million in 2003, said the report. Their share of the world's total users rose from two per cent to 5.2 per cent over the same period.

Bringing information to communications

The explosion of participation in telecommunications markets has been widespread. Today, MENA countries are active communications societies, but must work towards becoming active Information Societies, found a new study by Booz & Company.