Jordan’s IT exports rose to $230.5 million in 2011 witnessing a 14 per cent rise over the previous year, according to a survey released. The survey, conducted by the ICT Association of Jordan (int@j) and the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology, indicated that Jordan’s IT exports reached $202.2 million in 2010, $209.5 million in 2009 and $226 million in 2008.
Of the overall 2011 IT exports, 39.4 per cent went to Saudi Arabia, 9.5 per cent to the US, 8.5 per cent to the UAE, 6.3 per cent to Iraq, 4 per cent to Qatar and 3.9 per cent to Oman. The figures also showed that 3.2 per cent of last year’s IT exports went to the Netherlands, 2.6 per cent to Palestine and 2.4 per cent to the UK.
Jordan’s overall IT sector revenues exceeded $738 million in 2011
According to the study, Jordan’s overall IT sector revenues, including exports and domestic revenues, exceeded $738 million in 2011, rising by 1 per cent compared with 2010.
“These numbers reflect the strength and ability of Jordanian companies to export despite the overall global and regional economic downturn,” read the study e-mailed to The Jordan Times.
IT exports was mainly driven by exporting more to Saudi Arabia in 2011
Commenting on the survey, Abed Shamlawi, CEO of int@j, said the rise in IT exports was mainly driven by exporting more to Saudi Arabia in 2011.
“Jordanian IT companies focused heavily on exporting IT services and solutions in 2011 to make up for the drop in IT revenues generated from the local market. The majority of the increase in exports last year was to Saudi Arabia,” he told The Jordan Times.
“Revenues that IT companies generated locally dropped in 2011 because of less government spending on the IT sector coupled with less spending on IT services by sectors of education, banking and telecom operators,” he said.
IT revenues to witness a drop in 2012 based on the current regional conditions
Shamlawi said he expects the IT sector’s revenues to witness a drop in 2012 based on the current regional conditions.
“There is instability in markets such as Oman, Bahrain, Egypt and Syria. Although Jordan’s IT exports to these countries are individually small, the volume of exports together is good. Exports to these countries have dropped in 2012; therefore, I expect less revenues for the sector next year,” said Shamlawi.
Jordan Times
17 September
