IT spending in Mena to rebound in 2020 after a year of decline – The National

IT spending in Mena to rebound in 2020 after a year of decline – The National

Gartner says non-oil economic initiatives in the UAE and Saudi Arabia will boost investment on technology. The total IT spending in the region is expected to reach $160 billion (Dh587.2bn) this year, which is $3.75bn higher than in 2019.. "In 2019, organisations in Mena disinvested in data centre systems, devices and communication services, which led to a decline of 2.8 per cent in the overall IT spending," said John Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner.. Ongoing non-oil economic initiatives in the UAE and Saudi Arabia - the region's biggest economies - will boost IT spend in the region over the coming months.. The overall increase in IT spend will also be driven by digital transformation activities by government and private organisations, Gartner said.. The communications services and devices industry will see the largest IT outlay among five sectors highlighted, totalling $134.89bn, according to the report.. "This year, businesses in Mena are on pace to increase their IT budgets across all segments, with spending on enterprise software expected to achieve the highest growth [12.3 per cent year-on-year], reaching $7.42bn," said Mr Lovelock.. Spending on devices will grow at 3.6 per cent, following a double-digit decline last year.. IT spending levels in