For some countries in the region, their journey of digital transformation was part of their long-term development goals and strategies towards smart cities
Smart cities have garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Pitched as paradigms of what future cities should be, smart cities are intelligent ecosystems that are enabling the efficient, convenient, and sustainable distribution of and access to services for citizens and civil servant employees.
Read more: MEA: Smart city revolution: Why it’s time to digitally transform existing cities?
5G offers exciting new revenue prospects but telcos need to go beyond connectivity to achieve good return on investment.
The telecoms industry and 5G play a major role in supporting digital transformation as businesses move towards more collaborative and immersive remote working, said Hatem Bamatraf, chief technology officer, Etisalat International, during the Telecoms World Middle East 2021.
Read more: MEA: Telcos, 5G are main drivers of digital transformation: Etisalat chief
Additionally, the rising penetration of connected devices in the region is leading more governments to adopt more e-Government initiatives, making the transformation into digital economies with the initiation of smart city technologies.
Read more: MEA: Building a better world through connected devices
The global Middle East & Africa digital transformation market is segmented into digital software such as digital content and application, digital sales and commerce, digital marketing, digital customer experience & service and digital integration platform. Among these segments, digital integration platform segment is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the market by the end of forecast period. The expansion of the digital integration segment is backed by its compact and lightweight design. Moreover, it can be used in areas of adventures and harsh conditions owing to its rugged and waterproof design.
The forecast includes hardware, software, external IT services and telecommunications.
“Telecom services, which includes fixed and mobile telecom services, will be the largest overall spending category throughout the forecast period within the government sector. It is expected to grow 2.7 per cent in 2013 to reach US$5.4 billion in 2014 – led by growth in mobile network services,” Gartner said.
Read more: MEA government IT spending to hit $12bn this year