Health, military spending lift Saudi ICT contracts to $10bn
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's health, military, and infrastructure sectors led an 18.75 percent rise in government information and communications technology contracts in 2024, reaching SR38 billion ($10.13 billion), official data showed.
According to the Government Spending Report 2024, published by the Digital Government Authority, the value of contracts climbed from SR32 billion in 2023, with the health and social development sector receiving SR6.54 billion through 1,085 contracts.
The report said that 2024 spending priorities focused on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and cloud computing, positioning these areas as central to enhancing operational performance across public sector entities.
The government's sustained push to bolster digital services underscores Riyadh's growing investment in digital infrastructure, part of its Vision 2030 strategy to diversify the economy and modernize public services.
The report added that activating national framework agreements significantly contributed to these outcomes, enabling improved negotiation capabilities and more effective financial planning.
'These tools have enabled government entities to obtain goods and services more quickly, efficiently, and at lower cost,' the report said.
'They also highlight the added value achieved by enhancing supply chains and improving the quality of procurement, which in turn raises the efficiency of government entities in managing expenditures in contracts and agreements,' it also said.
Among other sectors, the military received SR5.16 billion across 1,125 contracts, while infrastructure and transport saw investments totaling SR5.26 billion. The education sector was allocated SR4.37 billion, followed by economic resources at SR3.42 billion, and public administration at SR2.39 billion.
There was a 157 percent increase in purchase orders through national framework agreements, amounting to SR4.47 billion through 9,457 orders. The report said these tools helped accelerate service delivery and improve procurement quality.
Government agencies achieved an estimated SR1 billion in savings during 2024 by improving spending efficiency and optimizing procurement and budgeting practices.
Saudi Arabia also continued to demonstrate global leadership in digital government performance. It ranked sixth globally and first regionally in the 2024 UN E-Government Development Index, climbing 25 places from 2022.
It also topped the Government Electronic and Mobile Services Maturity Index for the third consecutive year, achieving a score of 96 percent.
According to the report, and based on data from global research firm Gartner, Saudi Arabia led all countries in government ICT spending as a share of total ICT expenditure in 2024, reaching 34.1 percent.
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