Page 46 - SAMENA Trends - December 2023

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Saudi Arabia Ranks 2nd

Among the G20 in the
ITU’s ICT Development

Index 2023

Saudi Arabia jumped 10 ranks to achieve 2nd
place among the G20 countries according
to ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI) 2023,
which monitors the economies of 169 coun-
tries to measure their progress in ICT services
through two main pillars ‘universal connec-
tivity’ and ‘meaningful connectivity’, and eval-
uate some factors such as providing a high
quality infrastructure, as well as maintaining a
safe and secure internet for everyone. The IDI
reflects Saudi Arabia’s strong ICT infrastruc-
ture and the affordable and reliable services,
which directly contribute in the development
of the national digital economy, attract in-
vestment and increase the size of Saudi ICT
market. Moreover, the index highlights Saudi
Arabia’s commitment to develop its ICT in-
frastructure and services to boost economic
growth and create opportunities, which plac-
es the Saudi ICT market as the largest and the
fastest growing in the MENA region. It reflects
the robust and developed digital infrastruc-
ture, with an increase of %99 of Internet pen-
etration rate in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, con-
tribute to the goals of Vision 2030, to achieve
international leadership in digital growth, by
investing more than 93B SAR as total capital
investments in the digital infrastructure over
the past six years, which placed Saudi Arabia
among the leading positions in international
indicators. The ICT Development Index (IDI) is
published by the ITU to monitor the progress
of the ICT sector since 2009, while providing
inclusive and transparent data and methodol-
ogy submitted by Member States and experts
in the field.

Private Wireless Network Services for the Offshore Energy Sector

Ooredoo Qatar and Nokia have launched duce interruptions from onshore connec- Fi and WiMAX technologies, the partners
private wireless network services for the tivity. The integration equally enables the say their new dedicated network solutions
offshore energy sector, with an initial ca- efficient handling of interoperability and ‘will empower customers to digitalise and
pacity of 20,000 connections for the off- interservice handovers, making commu- automate operations.’ Elsewhere, Ooredoo
shore grid. The solution offers a native off- nication between offshore and onshore Qatar and Qatar National Broadband Net-
shore system designed to deliver services locations smoother and more reliable than work (QNBN) are partnering on a Doha Port
seamlessly integrating with the existing ever before, while managing latency issues project which involves implementing smart
commercial core, enabling customers to through localised data services to improve connectivity solutions in line with the aims
improve operational efficiency and re- process efficiency. Replacing legacy Wi- of the state’s ‘Qatar National Vision 2030’.

46 DECEMBER 2023