Saudi Arabia is ranked sixth among 18 Arab countries in terms of the adoption rate of information and communication technology (ICT), according to a newly developed statistical index from Madar Research Group. The Madar ICT Use Index, which serves to compare Arab states in terms of their progress in using “knowledge economy” tools, gave Saudi Arabia a score of 0.53, which is almost a tie with Lebanon, whose score of 0.54 put it in fifth position. This compares with a score of 1.43 received by the United Arab Emirates, which topped the index. Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar came second, third and fourth respectively.
Madar Research statistics also reveal impressive growth of mobile phone use and Internet penetration in Saudi Arabia. Within a period of two months - January-February 2003 - the number of mobile phone subscribers rose by 10 percent, to reach 5.5 million. Meanwhile, the number of Internet users in the Kingdom, surged by an even higher rate, reaching 1.92 million. The Kingdom’s performance against these two parameters translated into population penetration rates of 23.01 percent for mobile phones and 8.03 percent for the Internet.
The Madar ICT Use Index, published in the May 2003 issue of the Madar Research Journal, will be updated on quarterly basis. Its results will also appear on the Internet at madarresearch.com. As the index gets updated, it will show the individual progress of an Arab state over time, and help predict its future course.
“We have developed the ICT Use Index to help Arab governments and the ICT community gauge the relative progress and speed that characterizes the ICT scene in individual Arab countries. The index, along with the growth patterns it reveals, is designed to become a very useful tool in drawing up ICT strategies and business planning,” said Abdul Kader Kamli, president and research director of the Dubai Media City-based Madar Research Group.
- Arab News Saudi Tech Tracker 27 May 2003
