Saudi Arabia to develop ICT sector

Saudi Arabia’s Council of Ministers has approved a plan to develop the country’s telecom and information technology sectors, according to a report in Arab News. The council of ministers said it planned to transform the Kingdom into a knowledge-based society and digital economy, and to make its telecom and IT industries a major source of income. Saudi Arabia has already made a significant commitment to the ICT sector with the development of its first Knowledge Economic City in Madinah. The city will have a technological and economic information centre, a campus for medical research and biosciences, and a centre for studies in Islamic civilization. It is expected to attract investments worth more than US$6.7 billion and to create 25,000 new jobs.