Saudi Arabia Ranks Second Among G20 in ICT Development for Second Year

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Ranks Second Among G20 in ICT Development for Second Year

A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)
A night view of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia ranked second among the Group of Twenty (G20) countries for the second consecutive time in the 2024 ICT Development Index published by the United Nations International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The index tracks the digital development and progress of 170 countries in information and communication technology (ICT) services through sub-indicators divided into two axes: inclusive and effective communication.

The Kingdom also ranked first among the G20 countries in the effective communication axis and second in the inclusive communication axis, underscoring the continuous development of the communication and technology sector in the Kingdom, and its efforts to build and strengthen it.

These efforts have helped in achieving the global ranking and boosting the Kingdom's leadership in relevant international indices.

The Communications, Space and Technology Commission (CST) said the Kingdom's continuous progress in the index highlights the strength of its digital infrastructure and its contribution to driving the growth and development of the digital economy, as well as attracting investments.

The Kingdom's communication and technology market is the largest and fastest growing in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with an estimated value of SR166 billion.

The penetration rate of mobile subscriptions has reached 198% of the population, and the average monthly data consumption per capita in the Kingdom exceeds the global average by threefold.

The ICT Development Index published by the ITU measures digital development and the strength of digital infrastructure, providing comprehensive and transparent data and methodology that were developed in partnership with member states and expert teams in the field.



BlackBerry Forecasts Lower Annual Revenue due to Weak Demand for Cybersecurity Services

The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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BlackBerry Forecasts Lower Annual Revenue due to Weak Demand for Cybersecurity Services

The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
The Blackberry logo is seen on a smarphone in front of a displayed stock graph in this illustration taken February 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Canada's BlackBerry forecast a revenue decline in fiscal 2026 on Wednesday, as it anticipated weak spending on its cybersecurity products.

US-listed shares of the Waterloo, Ontario-based company fell 4% in premarket trading.

BlackBerry, once a dominant force in the smartphone market, has transitioned into selling software for devices and autonomous vehicles.

But enterprises are now reining their technology spending and optimizing costs, which in turn is affecting firms like BlackBerry.

The company forecast revenue to be between $504 million and $534 million for the financial year ending in February next year, lower than $534.9 million it reported in fiscal 2025, Reuters reported.

BlackBerry expects its cybersecurity unit, which provides intelligent security software to enterprises and governments, to report annual revenue between $230 million and $240 million, lower than the $272.6 million in the previous financial year.

The company posted revenue of $141.7 million for the fourth quarter, lower than $152.9 million it reported a year ago.

BlackBerry said it completed the sale of the Cylance business, which uses machine learning to preempt security breaches, to Arctic Wolf for $160 million.

The company sold the Cylance business to redirect its focus to high-growth areas, and as the unit required significant levels of investment and was facing strong competition.