Page 72 - SAMENA Trends - February 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

5G Related Activity Gains Momentum in the Middle East

5G activity continues apace in the that could benefit from the new smart Telecommunications Regulatory Authority
Middle East, with a new smart campus campus, stc cited oil rigs, gas exploration, (TRA) expects the country to be the first
initiative announced in Saudi Arabia education, medical treatment, mining and market in the Middle East to begin using
and a 26GHz 5G launch planned for other industries with diversified and remote higher-frequency mmWave spectrum for
the UAE – potentially this year. Saudi infrastructure. This initiative is part of 5G services (5G services using 3.5GHz
Arabian telecommunications company stc’s plans to incubate new 5G use cases, frequencies are already available). News
STC, which offers both fixed and mobile particularly focusing on the enterprise reports quote a TRA representative as
communications services, has announced market. stc partnered with Huawei for this suggesting that 26GHz will be allocated
the successful deployment of what it calls project. Another 5G first may soon be on this year, mainly for Dubai Expo 2020,
the first 5G smart campus in the MENA the way, this time from the UAE, whose which begins in October.
region. The 5G Smart Campus Network, as
it’s known, is described as the entry point
for stc’s ongoing effort to offer vertical
industries in the kingdom 5G-powered
services. With the high throughput and
very low latency that 5G offers, the smart
campus will, says STC, facilitate the
introduction of intelligent applications and
advanced use cases such as 5G CCTV,
cloud PC, cloud gaming, cloud VR, 5G live
broadcasting, AR, remote assistance and
drone inspection in 5G. Among industries

Saudi ICT Spending Forecasted to Rise 2.4% in 2020

Overall spending on information and by an increased focus on giga projects explored the emerging opportunities that
communication technology (ICT) in Saudi and smart governance. These initiatives exist in key technology domains, such as
Arabia is set to reach $37 billion this year, are spurring the adoption of artificial Cybersecurity, cloud, artificial intelligence,
up 2.4% on 2019. That’s according to the intelligence, robotics, the Internet of and the Internet of Things, while IDC thought
latest predictions revealed by International Things, cloud, blockchain, and a host of leaders shared their latest forecasts and
Data Corporation (IDC) as it hosted the other emerging technologies as both the predictions for the Kingdom’s technology
Kingdom’s most influential ICT industry public and private sectors look to create markets and contextualized the impact of
figures at The Ritz-Carlton in Riyadh synergies, cut costs, increase safety, and global trends on the local environment.
for IDC Directions 2020. Delivering the optimize processes across verticals in a The agenda also featured a fascinating
event’s keynote address, the firm’s country whole new way.” IDC Directions is Saudi panel discussion examining the role
manager for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, Arabia’s seminal ICT industry event and that emerging technologies are playing
Hamza Naqshbandi, announced that this year explored the theme of ‘Multiplied in accelerating innovation across the
spending on IT services will reach $3.9 Innovation Goes Mainstream: Thriving Kingdom and enabling the goals of Vision
billion in 2020, while software spending in the Digital Economy’. Bringing the 2030 and the National Transformation
will top $1.4 billion. He said that IT Kingdom’s foremost technology vendors, Program. Chaired by IDC’s group Vice
spending in the country (including mobile telecommunications operators, and IT President and Regional Managing Director,
devices, storage, hardware, systems, and service providers together under one roof, Jyoti Lalchandani, the panelists included:
software) will grow 4.2% year on year. The the event examined the evolving priorities Abdulrahman Althehaiban, Senior Vice
government, finance, and communications of C-suite executives in Saudi Arabia. President of Technology for MEA and CEE
sector will spend in excess of $3.8 billion Offering a unique opportunity to interact at Oracle; Salman Abdulghani Faqeeh,
on IT in 2020, accounting for almost with IDC’s industry-leading analysts, Managing Director of Cisco Saudi Arabia;
53% of total IT spending across all the event provided senior ICT industry Majed Abdulaziz Alotaibi, Chief Business
industries in the Kingdom. “The Saudi executives with in-depth analysis of the and Wholesale officer of Mobily; and Ziad
ICT market is grappling with a wave of latest trends and developments shaping Mortaja, CEO of Al Moammar Information
new digital transformation realities,” said the Saudi ICT market, helping them to Systems (MIS).
Naqshbandi. “The growth we are seeing identify the key sectors, segments, and
in ICT spending is primarily being driven geographies to target. Dedicated sessions

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