IT spending in Saudi Arabia to hit SR28 billion in 2017

The volume of spending on information technology (IT) in the Kingdom is expected to hit $7.5bn (SR28bn) in the current year, local media said quoting an official of the Oracle Company.
Abulrahman Al-Zihaiban, senior vice president of Oracle in the Middle East, Africa, Turkey and Central Asia, told Al-Riyadh daily that investment in the IT sector is of vital importance to the Kingdom to proceed with its plans to diversify the economy and create new job opportunities for youths.
He said his company has pledged to train more than 5,000 young Saudis in IT skills over the next four years in line with the National Transformation Program (2020). The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Oracle recently signed an agreement to implement the training project.
The deal aims to promote the Kingdom’s economy, develop the ICT sector and build national talents who could lead the digital transformation drive at the national level.
He added that the company, in collaboration with local partners, would provide triaging programs on Java, SQL, database, clouding and data analysis. The trainees will receive Oracle certificates that will help them obtain ICT-related jobs in the Kingdom, he said.
The agreement further aims to have employees involved in ICT sector conferences, implement innovation programs and initiatives to develop IT skills and raise awareness related to ICT through the use of the best international experiences and practices in this regard.
Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel, minister of communications and information technology, said the agreement reflects constructive cooperation between the public and private sectors.