Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology launched a five-year strategy aimed at accelerating the sector's growth by 50 percent and raising its contribution to the GDP by $13.3 billion.
The roadmap of the telecommunications and information technology sector 2019-2023 aims to establish a strong and sophisticated digital structure that contributes to building a digital society and government, a thriving digital economy and an innovative future for the Kingdom.
The strategy includes 13 priorities aligned with the goals of Vision 2030 and linked to eight programs to directly achieve the Vision. It supports the technology localization efforts in Saudi Arabia through a 50 percent increase of the workforce localization by the year 2023. It will also attract foreign investment and contribute to empowering women.
The strategy includes an ambitious action plan to attract leading international companies in areas of emerging technologies, to increase the share of local content in the IT sector,and improve the technical skills of the local workforce.
The strategy focuses on fostering technical and digital knowledge and awareness, as well as advancing technological innovation by fostering R&D in Saudi Arabia's startup business system. It also focuses on enabling the development of mega projects, as well as supporting coordination and synergies between telecom and IT stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah al-Swaha said the strategy will develop Saudi digital capabilities and attract foreign technical investments.
He said the strategy “will draw a roadmap for the future of the Kingdom in innovation and the digital economy.”
He explained that the strategy of the ICT sector will contribute to the improvement of various development activities and increase the effectiveness and performance of the public and private sectors.
The minister indicated that the aim is for Saudi Arabia to become among leading global countries in the field of information and communications technology.
Telecommunications and information technology specialist Abdul Rahman Mazi indicated that the strategy will boost the education, health, zakat, income, financial and banking sectors, as well as chambers of commerce and industry and other sectors.
Mazi told Asharq Al-Awsat that this strategy will increase the localization rate by supplying the sectors with qualified manpower that contributes to the digital transformation in various sectors.
He pointed that Saudi Arabia is on the right track to become among leading countries in the field of digital transformation.
He said the growth of this sector will attract foreign investments in various fields because it will provide them with infrastructure and qualified personnel in the field of digital transformation.
