Private sector to play crucial role in Saudi digital transformation: IDC

Saudi Arabia plays a key role in embracing digital transformation for the progress of the kingdom, but it must work closely with regional and local stakeholders and private sector partners to realize the benefits of digital investments, International Data Corporation (IDC), the global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the IT, telecom and consumer technology markets, said in its latest report.

The report ‘A Digital Government Vision for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’ said the National Transformation Program (NTP) is a unique opportunity for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to embrace digital transformation, not just to climb further the ranks of the UN eGovernment Readiness index, but to make a lasting impact at three levels, namely, transforming the administration, transforming public services, and transforming the country.

“National governments have a responsibility to embrace digitalization to spur the economic progress of their countries. However, national governments should work closely with regional and local governments when doing so,” it said.

Noting that Saudi Arabia has been investing in e-government programs for over ten years, the report said digital transformation is not a simple piece of technology that governments can implement to solve all their challenges.

IDC predicts that countries that can quickly move cities along their Smart City transformation journeys will have tremendous success in their digitalization efforts (chiefly, because cities account for nearly 60 percent of the global population, 75 percent of GDP, and 75 percent of the energy consumption of an average country).

IDC report said this is even more true in Saudi Arabia, where over 80 percent of the population already lives in cities.

“As digitalization becomes an important enabler of economic and social development, cities will play a fundamental role in achieving overall innovation, efficiency, and inclusion,” it noted.