Dubai – Overall spending on information and communication technology (ICT) in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa (META) is set to grow 2.5% year on year in 2019 to reach $213 billion. That's according to the latest insights presented today by International Data Corporation (IDC) as it hosted 200 of the region's most influential technology vendors, telecommunications operators, and IT service providers at the Address Dubai Marina hotel for its annual ICT industry gathering, 'IDC Directions'.
Running under the theme 'Multiplied Innovation: Scaling a Technology Revolution in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa', the highly anticipated event explored the emerging trends and priorities that will shape ICT investment in 2019 and beyond, with IDC's group vice president and regional managing director for the META region, Jyoti Lalchandani, highlighting the critical role that digital transformation (DX) initiatives will play in driving ICT investment across the region.
"Developing an effective digital transformation platform that can sustain, advance, and scale business operations may be the most important task facing the region's decision makers," said Lalchandani as he opened the day's proceedings. "We expect DX spending across the META region to cross the $25 billion mark in 2019 and that figure is only going to increase over the coming years as more and more organizations experiment with transformative technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and the Internet of Things in a bid to spur innovation and revolutionize their customer experience."
IDC's senior vice president and chief analyst, Frank Gens, built on this during the event's keynote address as he presented his outlook for the global ICT industry and highlighted the radical changes we can expect to see as organizations strive to broaden the scale of their innovation and accelerate the responsiveness of their operations.
"In the next two years, the proportion of digitally determined organizations with a fully integrated enterprise-wide technology architecture will grow from 34% to nearly 90%," he said. "By 2022, 25% of endpoint devices and systems worldwide will be executing AI algorithms, and between 2018 and 2023, more than 500 million new apps will be created, equaling the total that was built during the preceding 40 years."
The event also featured a session hosted by Nenad Pacek, founder and president of MEA Business Group, that explored the region's economic outlook, while a panel of senior IDC country heads dissected and contextualized the technology-led innovation and entrepreneurship that is taking root in a variety of different geographies across the region. This was complemented by a series of individually themed technology tracks that enabled attendees to further tailor the agenda to meet their specific areas of interest.
Bringing the event to a close, IDC's associate vice president for research in the META region, hosted an executive panel session featuring insights from Abdulaziz Alfalahi, CEO of corporate technology support services at Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Khaled Khamis Al Mansori, CISO of Abu Dhabi's Department of Energy.
Together, they examined the emerging priorities that are shaping the CxO growth agenda of tomorrow, with a particular focus on the challenges end-user organizations will encounter as they strive to strike an effective balance between traditional systems and next-generation technologies.
To learn more about 'IDC Directions 2019', please visit www.idc.com/dir19meta or contact Sheila Manek at smanek@idc.com / +971 4 446 3154. You can also join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #IDCDirections.
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC's analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG , the world's leading technology media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.
IDC in the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa
For the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region, IDC retains a coordinated network of offices in Riyadh, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, Cairo, and Istanbul, with a regional center in Dubai. Our coverage couples local insight with an international perspective to provide a comprehensive understanding of markets in these dynamic regions. Our market intelligence services are unparalleled in depth, consistency, scope, and accuracy. IDC Middle East, Africa, and Turkey currently fields over 130 analysts, consultants, and conference associates across the region. To learn more about IDC MEA, please visit www.idc.com/mea. You can follow IDC MEA on Twitter at @IDCMEA.
Disclaimer: The contents of this press release was provided from an external third party provider. This website is not responsible for, and does not control, such external content. This content is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis and has not been edited in any way. Neither this website nor our affiliates guarantee the accuracy of or endorse the views or opinions expressed in this press release.
The press release is provided for informational purposes only. The content does not provide tax, legal or investment advice or opinion regarding the suitability, value or profitability of any particular security, portfolio or investment strategy. Neither this website nor our affiliates shall be liable for any errors or inaccuracies in the content, or for any actions taken by you in reliance thereon. You expressly agree that your use of the information within this article is at your sole risk.
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, this website, its parent company, its subsidiaries, its affiliates and the respective shareholders, directors, officers, employees, agents, advertisers, content providers and licensors will not be liable (jointly or severally) to you for any direct, indirect, consequential, special, incidental, punitive or exemplary damages, including without limitation, lost profits, lost savings and lost revenues, whether in negligence, tort, contract or any other theory of liability, even if the parties have been advised of the possibility or could have foreseen any such damages.
