Saudi Arabia will account for up to 50 percent of ICT investments in the GCC from 2010 to 2012, sustaining a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 8 percent, according to the recently released “GCC ICT Infrastructure Report” from Kuwait Financial Centre (Markaz). Growing consumer adoption of new technologies and services such as broadband internet has helped fuel the increasing ICT spend in Saudi Arabia as an estimated $90 billion is expected to be allocated for various infrastructure projects in the telecom sector over the next three years. GITEX KSA 2010, a premier business-to-business networking event and leading consumer ICT showcase, will gather renowned regional and global distributors, manufacturers and resellers to showcase a comprehensive range of the latest applications, systems and components, complementing the increasing ICT investment initiatives across the country. The latest ICT spend growth forecast in Saudi Arabia represents a new upward trend after the country registered a 4 percent CAGR in ICT expenditure in 2009. Broadband internet, including WiMAX and mobile high-speed packet access technologies, has provided a major boost in consumer technology adoption across the country as broadband registered members reached 1.985 million at the end of the first nine months of 2009, increasing by 49.2 per cent from the same period in 2008. Scheduled for April 25-29 at the Riyadh International Exhibition Centre, GITEX KSA expects over 450 exhibitors from various countries.
