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E-commerce boosts Saudi economy

Development of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in general and e-commerce in particular, is a major driver for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), as it seeks to integrate with an increasingly global economy. Over 20 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operate in the KSA. Other services, such as satellite data services, fixed-line telephony & mobile services, which were formerly delivered by monopolies, have been put on the open market, following the privatization Act of 2003.

Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Mohamed Jamil Mulla, points out that the ministry?s creation in 2003 expressed the Saudi government?s total commitment to supporting the development & transformation of the KSA into a technologically advanced society. ?The principal driver of our strategy is to keep the KSA on track with the rapid changes in ICT worldwide? he says.

Among the dominant Saudi companies in the e-commerce space is Sawabeh Information Services Company (SISCOM), an e-marketing, business intelligence (BI) solutions and professional services organization. SISCOM is now a market leader through its proprietary e-Commerce Global Network and the wide range of electronically enabled services it offers the Saudi marketplace.