The deputy minister said, “The spending on IT in Saudi Arabia and the UAE represents only three percent of their GDP while for other Gulf states it is only one percent.”
The Kingdom, however, has reported substantial progress in terms of its policies and plans to promote e-governance and e-commerce concepts. Riyadh has already set up a national Electronic Commerce Standing Technical Committee (ECSTC).
The committee seeks suggestions from an advisory panel composed of a number of private sector representatives. The two groups have been discussing how to enhance support for the adoption of practical e-commerce applications.
The ECSTC, which seeks to develop e-commerce in Saudi Arabia, is composed of officials from various ministries including Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency as well as King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The Ministry of Commerce & Industry in addition to the Ministry of Finance have also prepared and distributed two introductory booklets on e-commerce and e-government. The booklets provide substantial information about future plans and policies of the ministries in this regard.
Referring to the efforts of Saudi and Gulf governments to promote e-commerce and the IT industry, while at the same time adopting e-governing systems in almost all sectors of the economy, Dr. Alamy said, “The overall IT spending in the GCC totals $3 to $4 billion.”
More efforts are required on this front besides more capital. “Saudi Arabia remains a net importer of IT products with its imports reported to be worth $3.2 billion, while local production totaled $600 million at the end of 2002,” said the deputy minister. “The GCC states have to control and reduce the digital divide and have an e-landscape in place,” said Dr. Alamy who also said, “Knowledge-based industries should be created and there should be a lab in every school, which can transform the e-dreams into reality. It was three years ago that Saudi Arabia decided to introduce an e-policy and it can now boast that it is one of the 51 countries in the world today to have introduced cyber laws,” he said. It is also near the top in terms of the increase in the number of Internet users.
The Internet penetration rate in Saudi Arabia remains low with the UAE comfortably leading the region. The Kingdom has reported a penetration rate of eight percent. Moreover, the growth of the IT sector and the widespread use of Internet in Saudi Arabia has accelerated the demand for application software, which is the key high-growth segment reporting $800 million in annual sales. In fact, the Saudi market for computers, peripherals, software and IT consultancy is among the largest in the Middle East.
Quelle: Arab News
