JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia took the 33rd position in the world in its use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to enhance competitiveness and development, The Global Information Technology Report 2010-2011, Transformations 2.0, released by the World Economic Forum, showed Sunday. Other Arab countries prominently featured in the ranking were: Qatar (25), Bahrain (30), UAE (24), and Oman (41). Moreover, in the Arab Advisors Group's Cellular Competition Intensity Index 2011 released early this month, Saudi Arabia bagged the most competitive Arab cellular market with a 76.01 percent mark, followed by Jordan with 75.37 percent rating, and Palestine came third at 69.61 percent. The Cellular Competition Intensity Index is relative in nature as it compares the state of every market relative to other markets. As such, even if a market's absolute level of competition improved, its score in this relative index will also depend on how other markets developed. The Arab Advisors Group added the "Smart phones packages availability" indicator for the 2011 index. This came in line with the increased adoption of mobile broadband and smart phone usage in the MENA region which contributes to the overall competitiveness in the country." Faten Bader, Arab Advisors Group senior research analyst said. "Saudi Arabia hosts four operational and licensed operators. Consumers have a choice of 19 prepaid plans and 23 postpaid plans. Saudi Arabia's score benefited from the availability of smart phone plans, corporate offers, 3G services and ILD competition." Zeena Al Borgan, another Arab Advisors Group senior research analyst added. Sweden and Singapore continue to top the rankings of the latest Global Information Technology Report, confirming the leadership of the Nordic countries and the Asian Tiger economies in adopting and implementing ICT advances for increased growth and development. Finland jumps to third place, while Switzerland and the United States are steady in fourth and fifth place respectively. The 10th anniversary edition of the report focuses on ICT's power to transform society in the next decade through modernization and innovation. The Nordic countries lead the way in leveraging ICT. With Denmark in 7th and Norway in 9th place, all are in the top 10, except for Iceland, which is ranked in 16th position. Led by Singapore in second place, the other Asian Tiger economies continue to make progress in the ranking, with both Taiwan, China, and Korea improving five places to 6th and 10th respectively, and Hong Kong SAR following closely at 12th. With a record coverage of 138 economies worldwide, the report remains the world's most comprehensive and authoritative international assessment of the impact of ICT on the development process and the competitiveness of nations. The Networked Readiness Index (NRI) featured in the report examines how prepared countries are to use ICT effectively on three dimensions: the general business, regulatory and infrastructure environment for ICT; the readiness of the three key societal actors – individuals, businesses and governments - to use and benefit from ICT; and their actual usage of available ICT. Under the theme Transformations 2.0, this 10th anniversary edition explores the coming transformations powered by ICT, with a focus on the impact they will have on individuals, businesses and governments over the next few years. Since the beginning of the report, the sheer amount of information generated by today's digital society has increased at an astounding rate. "Innovation and ICT have proven a crucial lever for long-term growth, with countless social and economic benefits and the capacity to significantly improve people's life around the world," said Alan Marcus, senior director and head of Information Technology and Telecommunications, World Economic Forum. "Countries fully integrating new technologies and leveraging the new data revolution in their development and growth strategies are laying the foundations for competitive, resilient economies for the future."
