QUOTED

Quoted

“The Saudi ICT market is grappling with a wave of new digital transformation realities. The growth we are seeing in ICT spending is primarily being driven by an increased focus on giga projects and smart governance. These initiatives are spurring the adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, cloud, blockchain, and a host of other emerging technologies as both the public and private sectors look to create synergies, cut costs, increase safety, and optimize processes across verticals in a whole new way.”

-Hamza Naqshbandi, International Data Corporation (IDC) country manager for Saudi Arabia, discusses Saudi Arabia’s ICT sector at the recent IDC Directions 2020 conference in Riyadh.  IDC forecasts ICT spending to top $37b in 2020, up over 4% on the previous year. [IDC.com]

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Al-Ula Planners, Developers Keen to Keep Historic Beauty of Site Intact with Millions Expected Annually

Elephant Rock near Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia.

Planners and developers working on making Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ula UNESCO heritage site easier and more enjoyable to visit are keen to keep intact the natural beauty and wonder of the site, the UAE-based The National reports, citing an interview with Francesca Arici, the site’s chief planning officer. [more]

  

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Saudi Aramco Sees Increased Number of Cyberattacks since Late 2019

OPEC expects an average decline in demand of 6.9 mbpd over the course of the year. year

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