Riyadh Set to Become the Arab World’s First Digital Capital in 2020
Riyadh is set to become the Arab world’s first ever digital capital city. The announcement was revealed at the 23rd session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Communications and Information Technology, which took place on December 18 at The Ritz-Carlton hotel in Saudi Arabia’s capital.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191219005518/en/
Minister of Communications and Information Technology His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha (Photo: AETOSWire)
The decision to name Riyadh the Arab Digital Capital follows the city’s prominent role in adopting and promoting the use of digital technologies to enhance socio-economic development, advance healthcare, improve education, and to ultimately increase community welfare, which helped to elevate the ICT sector's contribution to GDP to 4%. The Kingdom also climbed 16 places in World Economic Forum’s Global Competitive Index 2019 in terms of ICT adoption, and topped in the ease of doing business ranking according to the World Bank’s 2020 report.
The ‘Arab Digital Capital’ initiative seeks to encourage the creation of a stimulating ecosystem for investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), activate initiatives that develop knowledge within the ICT industry across Arab countries, and to adopt new initiatives that facilitate and enhance tech entrepreneurship in the Arab region.
Minister of Communications and Information Technology His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha extended congratulations to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and to His Royal Highness Prince Muhammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense. He hailed the great and unlimited support to the sector by the Kingdom’s good government, which highlighted it regionally and internationally. He also emphasized the acknowledgment as an addition added to the record of the Saudi ICT sector’s march, which has advanced the country’s digital infrastructure making it eligible for obtaining this title and precedence. This came in a keynote speech at the announcement ceremony attended by the Secretary-General of International Telecommunication Union, relevant Ministers, Arab Ambassadors to Riyadh and a number of interested ICT professionals and specialists.
Saudi Arabia is the region’s largest ICT market and ranks 13th globally, with a value of $28.7 billion in 2019 and strong growth in both the consumer and enterprise segments. Supported by a young and tech-savvy population, Saudi Arabia is a market of early technology adopters, with one of the highest social media penetrations in the world. Mobile subscribers stood at 43.8 million in 2019, representing a 129% penetration of the total population.
Following the launch of Vision 2030, the last few years have seen a significant acceleration in the proliferation of digital transformation initiatives. In 2019, Saudi Arabia was second among G20 countries for radio spectrum liberalization, with a subsequent positive impact on the quality of digital services provided by local operators experienced.
Supported by a 93% internet user penetration versus the global average of 53%, Saudi Arabia also became the first adopter of commercial 5G technology in the Middle East and North Africa, and the third largest globally – an achievement that is set to boost the adoption of other digitalization trends characterizing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In parallel, the Kingdom is the 5th G20 country in internet speed, and jumped 91 places from 105th to 14th in the relevant global rankings, with a 51.8Mbps average speed.
Earlier this year, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) launched a five-year strategy aimed at accelerating the sector’s growth by 50% and elevating its contribution to GDP by $13.3 billion. Despite the global trend towards job disruption as a consequence of digitalization, the MCIT’s technology localization initiatives have significantly increased the ICT sector’s employment capacity in 2019.
The “Arab Digital Capital” award is a recognition of Saudi Arabia’s achievements in the ICT sector and is set to provide an even greater impetus to the country’s already busy regional and international agenda in the coming year. As the only Arab nation represented in the G20, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the G20 meetings throughout 2020, under the theme “Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All.” The G20 Leaders Summit will take place on November 20-21, 2020 in Riyadh, the newly nominated Digital Capital of the Arab World.
Editor’s Note: new website for Riyadh Arab Digital Capital 2020 is at www.adcapitals.org
*Source: AETOSWire
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191219005518/en/
Contact information
The Communications and Information Technology Commission – Saudi Arabia
Saeed H. AlGhamdi
Office: +966 11 4618244
Email: Shghamdi@citc.gov.sa | www.citc.gov.sa
Twitter: @CITC_SA
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Frontgrade Unveils RT-SADE: Precision Motor Control for Next-Gen Space Missions19.11.2025 14:00:00 EET | Press release
Frontgrade™ Technologies, a leading provider of high-reliability electronic solutions for space and national security missions, today announced the release of the RT-SADE (Radiation-Tolerant Solar Array Drive Electronics), a next-generation microprocessor-based stepper motor controller engineered to deliver precision, reliability, and versatility for demanding spacecraft and defense applications. Designed for mission-critical motion control systems such as solar array drives, RT-SADE combines radiation-tolerant electronics, advanced fault management, and flexible configuration options to give customers superior performance and confidence in the harshest environments. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119546361/en/ Built around a microprocessor and advanced circuitry rated to 30 krad total ionizing dose, RT-SADE ensures long-term durability and mission assurance for Low- to Medium-Earth Orbit (LEO/MEO) operati
Murata Named Top Innovator for UltraSonic Clearing Device Technology Advancing All-Weather ADAS19.11.2025 14:00:00 EET | Press release
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) has been selected as a Top Innovator in the Digital category of the CLEPA Innovation Awards. The award recognizes Murata’s UltraSonic Clearing Device (USCD) technology, which is currently in development to augment the effectiveness of cameras and sensors used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving applications, regardless of weather conditions. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251119372516/en/ [Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] CLEPA While current camera and sensor technologies often rely on ideal operating conditions, their performance can be negatively impacted by rain, fog, dust, ice, and snow. Murata’s USCD technology is addressing this challenge by using ultrasonic vibrations to disperse water and remove debris from the camera lens and sensor, maintaining visibility. The ultrasonic vibrations also heat the outer le
CMOs Face a ‘Reputation and Results’ Reckoning, According to NIQ’s 2026 Outlook19.11.2025 13:00:00 EET | Press release
NielsenIQ (NYSE: NIQ), a global leader in consumer intelligence, today released its CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 report, revealing how chief marketing officers (CMOs) are navigating a critical inflection point between brand building and revenue accountability. According to the report, 83% of CMOs remain confident in their brand’s equity, even as they face tightening budgets and heightened scrutiny over ROI. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251118947080/en/ NIQ CMO Outlook: Guide to 2026 “Every marketing dollar is now under the microscope,” said Marta Cyhan-Bowles, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Global Marketing COE, NIQ. “With organizations prioritizing cost reductions, CMOs are being challenged not just to spend wisely, but to prove how marketing directly drives awareness, growth, and loyalty. It’s no longer just about efficiency; it’s about proving impact – all with largely flat budgets.” Key Findings f
Data Space Technology Leaders Advance Data Interoperability in Construction and Real Estate at the Gaia-X Summit19.11.2025 12:03:00 EET | Press release
Leaders in data space technology are converging at the Gaia-X Summit, in Porto November 20-21, to address the imperative of interoperability within and across data spaces in the construction and real estate sectors. The main objective is to assess how data spaces can leverage the world’s estimated $393 trillion in real estate assets. Achieving this involves exploring numerous use cases among the entire building lifecycle, from design to demolition, including construction, renovation and facility management operations, which creates a win-win situation for both industry and technology stakeholders. In France, the construction and renovation market alone is estimated at €200 billion annually. Designed to address the sector’s challenges, Digital TER-X is a technology demonstrator serving the construction and real estate use cases. Its relevance has been recognized, notably by being named in November 2025 Gaia-X Lighthouse Project, just one year after its Gaia-X Endorsed Project status, an
Quectel Takes Smart Meters to the Next Generation at Enlit 202519.11.2025 11:00:00 EET | Press release
Quectel Wireless Solutions, an end-to-end global IoT solutions provider, has announced it is attending the Enlit 2025 event in Bilbao, Spain on 18-20 November 2025 and will be at Stand 1.G86. Quectel is attending to showcase how its comprehensive range of modules, antennas and services are poised to assist continued massive uptake of smart meters and assist industry moves from first to second-generation devices. With deployments of smart meters, comprised of electricity, water and gas meters, exceeding 1.06 billion at the end of 2023 and set to continue in all regions, according to IoT Analytics, Quectel is seeing growth across all meter types and expansion of meter-based use cases. Smart electricity meters are being deployed in developing markets for the first time and mature markets are accelerating deployments of second-generation smart meters to help users optimize consumption and manage their own power generation via two-way metering communications. Growth is being experienced acr
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom