Saudi Arabia will import 4.8 million computers by 2015, according to a report from the International Data Corporation (IDC).
The personal computer market in Kingdom has continued to grow in 2012 to SR 2.105 million last year, according to the IDC.
Saudi Arabia is the third-biggest market for information and communication technology in the Middle East after Turkey and United Arab Emirates, with a growth rate of 4.7 percent.
“We see considerable progress in technology in the Kingdom. There are currently 8.88 million personal computers. The demand for desktop computers has gone down gradually,” said Abdul Aziz Al-Anzi, a research analyst for the IDC.
He said there was now a greater demand for ultra-book and tablet devices because of their thinness and elegant designs. The proficiencies and sensitivity of the smart devices are meeting user’s requirements.
The new ultra-thin laptop provides two devices in one. The convertible tablet devices with touch screens are more ideal for computing functions. When tasks are better suited for a keyboard and a mouse, the screen can be turned around and the device functions like a laptop, he added.
Abdulaziz Al-Noghaither, general manager of Intel in Saudi Arabia, said that Saudi customers have begun to demand more mobility and flexibility from their personal computers. The number of users has grown rapidly in the past few years.
He said that ultra books are now meeting the technical demands of customers. In 2012, 140 different structures and designs of third generation ultra-books were launched in the Kingdom.
There would likely be 2.12 million tablets devices by 2016 in Saudi Arabia, an increase of 232 percent, said Al-Noghaither.
KSA to import 4.8 m new computers by 2015
