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Gulf to spend 11.6% more on IT
Spending on information technology in the Gulf countries could rise 11.6 per cent to $8.56bn this year, an industry research group said, reported Gulf News. Last year IT spending in the Gulf Cooperation Council totaled $7.67bn, according to International Data Corp (IDC). Saudi Arabia, the largest Gulf Arab economy, will lead the IT spending followed by the UAE in 2008. IDC said the kingdom will spend $3.76bn, or 11.28 per cent more than what it spent in 2007. The UAE will spend $2.99 billion this year compared to $2.66bn last year. The region's total IT spending in 2006 stood at $6.82bn. IDC believes IT spending will rise by 14 to 15 per cent each year for the next three years. In the UAE, IT spending is likely to grow by 19 to 20 per cent.
Middle East loses $50bn to piracy
Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Al Shihhi, undersecretary, planning sector, for the UAE's Ministry of Economy said Middle East businesses lose $50bn annually from electronic piracy and counterfeiting, reported Khaleej Times. He said global software expenditure over the next four years will reach over $350bn, but up to $180bn of that will be lost to illegal trade.
Motorola and Zebra win Sharjah contract
Mobile phone manufacturer Motorola and Zebra Technologies, a global maker of thermal bar code label and receipt printers, have won a Dhs2m ($545,000)contract to provide a fully automated parking ticket system for the emirate of Sharjah, reported Khaleej Times. Motorola, which receieved 60% of the project cost, will provide at least 150 MC70 handheld computers to Sharjah parking inspectors. Zebra, which received less than 15% of the project, will provide new units of MZ220, a small printer weighing less than 3/4 of a pound.
Saudi Telecom receives $450m loan
Saudi Telecom Co. has received a $450m loan from Al-Rajhi Bank to help fund an investment in Malaysia's Maxis Communications Sdn., reported Bloomberg. The loan from Al-Rajhi, the biggest bank in Saudi Arabia by market value, is for 10 years. Saudi Telecom is the largest Arab phone company.
UAE IT outsourcing to reach $170.5m
The market for outsourced IT services in the UAE is projected to reach $170.5m in 2010 from the $81.27m recorded in 2006, according to the latest IDC reports.
Saudi e-commerce users to rise
Saudi Arabia's internet users spent over $3.28b in B2C e-commerce during 2007, a latest report by Jordan-based Arab Advisors Group said, reported Gulf News. The report estimates e-commerce users to exceed 3.5 million, representing 14.26 per cent of the population. According to the survey results, 46.4 per cent of internet users in Saudi have access at work, while 36.6 per cent use internet cafes and 34.3 per cent use WiFi hot spots. And about 23.7 per cent do not access the internet except from their homes.
Nokia Siemens wins $935m Saudi deal
Nokia Siemens Networks has won a $935m order for a mobile network in Saudi Arabia, reported The Economic Times, while U.S. Motorola would deliver a smaller share of the deal. Nokia Siemens (NSN) and Motorola won the deal awarded by Kuwait's Zain telecom operator to build the whole second and third generation wireless networks in Saudi Arabia, from Ericsson and China's Huawei Technologies.
Canon updates its models
Canon has announced the launch of a new entry-level laser multifunctional, the i-SENSYS MF4010. Replacing the MF3220 - Canon's best selling laser MFP - the i-SENSYS MF4010 offers print, copy and scan functionality in a significantly smaller body than its predecessor.
Motorola wins $150m contract from Mobily
Motorola Inc. has signed a contract valued at $150m with Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) to further expand the operator's GSM coverage in the Northwest and Southwest regions of Saudi Arabia. Under the agreement Motorola will deliver its GSM infrastructure solutions as well as comprehensive services, including network planning, optimization, operations and maintenance, to enable Mobily to increase its subscriber base capacity within the kingdom.
Iraq operators rebranded as Zain
Two Iraqi mobile telecommunications networks - MTC Atheer and Iraqna - have change their names to Zain as both operators adopt the new corporate master brand of the Zain Group (formerly MTC). This re-branding follows MTC Atheer's recent attainment of a 15 year nationwide license in August 2007, for $1.25bn and its parent company Zain acquiring Iraqna on December 1, 2007, for an amount of $1.2bn. Zain operates in 22 countries serving 42.5 million customers across the Middle East and Africa.
Telecoms most active borrowers in 2007
Telecoms was the most active sector in Middle Eastern borrowing last year, according to Reuters Loan Pricing Corporation. Telecom companies took $32bn of loans to pay for licences or back consolidation. Saudi Arabian telecom Mobily agreed to the largest-ever Islamic loan in June of $2.875bn to back expansion plans, while Qatar Telecom's $3bn deal backed its 51% stake in Kuwait's Wataniya.
Quran mobile ring tones banned in Saudi
The Islamic Jurisprudence Council has banned the use of the verses of the Holy Quran as ringtones for mobile phones because it impinges on the sacred character of the Holy Book, reported the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Mobile digital TV enters the UAE in June
The Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) will issue a licence for the mobile digital TV service in the country by middle of the year, reported Khaleej Times. Mohammed Al Ghanem Director-General of Telecommunication Regulatory Authority said that the consultant will take a month's time to complete the task given, and enable the authority to issue the license to the operator by the middle of this year.
Kuwait trims international call charges
Kuwait plans to cut international telephone call charges by 20% to help counter the spread of unlicensed call agents, reported Kuna. Abdullah Al-Muhailbi, Kuwait's communications minister, said the new fees would apply to all international calls, except to other Gulf Arab states.
Infrastructure sharing to rise
Telecom operators in the Mena region will increasingly use infrastructure sharing to generate new revenue and optimise costs, according to a study by Booz Allen Hamilton. The report said infrastructure sharing can help reduce capital expenditure components by as much as 40%.
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