Okaz/Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — Deputy Minister of Communications and Information Technology Haytham Bin Abdulrahman Al-Ohali said that 5G is projected to contribute more than $19 billion to Saudi Arabia’s GDP and create almost 20,000 new ICT jobs by 2030.

5G is also expected to support 45 million new Internet of Things devices in the Kingdom, creating a market worth more than $12 billion by 2030.

At the World Economic Forum in Jordan, Al-Ohali said the Kingdom is among the pioneering countries in introducing digital transformation and it is in the forefront in activating modern technology by launching 5G.

He said the Internet has become every citizen’s right and one of the necessities of life, as its effect has reached every individual in the health, education, work and transport sectors.

In February, Abdullah Alswaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology, announced the largest 5G commercial roll-out in the Middle East and North Africa – with an additional 400 MHz in mid-band (3.5Ghz) spectrum now being released to commercial operators in March.