Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha score highest in Ericsson Middle East city index

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha are the leading cities for ICT infrastructure and development, according to the first edition of Ericsson Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Networked Society Index.
The report analyzes the levels of ICT-driven benefits created in 11 of the Middle East and MENA region’s largest cities.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha emerged as the top three cities in the ranking.
The key findings showed a high level of maturity in term of infrastructure development and usage of ICT services in the cities.
The report points to considerable opportunities, yet to be seized, to leverage the socioeconomic benefits of this high ICT maturity level.
The report also highlights the increasing influence of ICT in supporting entrepreneurial activities within the region. The results revealed a strong correlation between high levels of ICT maturity, and usage, within a city to the number of start-up businesses and entrepreneurial innovations being launched, for example in music and video streaming, e-commerce and cloud services.
Anders Lindblad, president of Ericsson in MENA, said, “ICT has become an integral part of our working environment and will continue to be an important resource for business growth. The environment of entrepreneurship and innovation is enhanced by ICT as it provides the tools and infrastructure that make it easy for entrepreneurs to start a business. ICT nurtures innovation and helps people to realize their ideas for new companies, products and services. It provides access to a market far greater than was previously possible for start-ups.”
The importance of connectivity for businesses, and the empowerment it brings, was clear from the high levels of Internet usage with penetration rates comparable with many international business hubs, including Shanghai and London.
The report reveals that 79 percent of the population in Amman uses the Internet for work, while Muscat and Doha are not far behind at 77 percent and 62 percent respectively.