The IT expenditure of Saudi Arabia, the biggest IT market in the region, is expected to reach SR18.1 billion ($4.83 billion) by 2013, according to a report.

Moreover, a growing interest by business organisations in technology solutions that boost efficiency and productivity, is expected to sustain a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7 per cent between 2009 and 2013, said a spokesman for the Riyadh Exhibitions Company, the organisers of Gitex KSA 2010, the leading event for the IT industry in the Gulf.

The IT services market is also poised to achieve a CAGR of 9 per cent during the same period, he said. 

Gitex KSA 2010, to be held from March 28 to April 1 at the Riyadh Exhibition Centre, is expected to provide the perfect complement to the positive outlook in the Saudi IT market as the event serves as an ideal gateway for suppliers and buyers of a diverse range of IT products and services to meet and explore new business opportunities, said the spokesman.

PCs, notebook computers and IT accessories, which collectively generated sales of
SR7.125 billion in 2009, as well as IT services, which registered around SR3.75 billion in sales in 2009, are among the key product categories that are expected to create a huge impact at Gitex KSA this year.

'We expect another record participation with all the top ICT manufacturers confirming their presence at Gitex KSA 2010. In view of the changes in market dynamics, ICT companies will be actively interacting with corporate buyers, traders and other target audiences as they look out for lucrative deals and explore various joint venture opportunities,' stated Shahid Bhatti, project manager of Gitex at Riyadh Exhibitions Company.

Saudi Arabia's per capita IT spend is poised to increase and reach around $180 by 2013, a key factor that will support the sustained growth of the country's IT market, he added.-TradeArabia News Service