Saudi Arabia has remained one of the biggest IT markets in the region, with IT expenditure projected to have sustained a 9 percent year-on-year growth reaching $4.1 billion in 2012.
The Kingdom's healthcare sector is expected to account for a significant percentage of the Kingdom's massive IT investments, as the Saudi government continues to take advantage of the latest technological advances to address the growing healthcare requirements of the rapidly expanding Saudi population.
In 2012 alone, the Kingdoms' healthcare expenditure already reached $24.35 billion, achieving a 16 percent increase compared to the previous year. A substantial percentage of the total expenses was used to purchase specialized e-Health and related IT solutions for healthcare. Moreover, Saudi Arabia allocated $1.74 billion for medical devices in 2012, up 17.8 percent from 2011.
The Saudi government has strengthened its investments in technology as part of its commitment to enhance the quality of public services being provided to its citizens. In this regard, improving the technology infrastructure of the healthcare sector is one of the Kingdom's top priorities, which in turn has helped establish Saudi Arabia as one of the most lucrative markets for healthcare IT solutions.
The Saudi Gazette
17 February
