IT spending in Saudi Arabia set to rebound to $27.7bn in 2021

The total spent in this sector rose 8.7 percent year-on-year to $965 million in 2020. (Shutterstock)
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Updated 29 May 2021
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IT spending in Saudi Arabia set to rebound to $27.7bn in 2021

  • According to a new report, $27.593 billion was spent on IT in the Kingdom in 2020, a decline of 1.6 percent compared to 2019
  • However, the figure is expected to grow by 2.1 percent year-on-year in 2021 to $27.734 billion

RIYADH: Spending on IT systems in Saudi Arabia is expected to rebound in 2021, after a slight decrease in 2020 as a result of the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a forecast by US-based research firm Gartner.

According to a new report, $27.593 billion was spent on IT in the Kingdom in 2020, a decline of 1.6 percent compared to 2019. However, the figure is expected to grow by 2.1 percent year-on-year in 2021 to $27.734 billion, and by 5.1 percent in 2022 and 5.2 percent in 2023.

Despite the overall decline last year, a breakdown of the figures showed that a push by companies to digitalize their systems and a spike in online activity led to increased demand for data centers. The total spent in this sector rose 8.7 percent year-on-year to $965 million in 2020. However, this was offset by a decline in communication services spending — the largest sector — which dropped 2.2 percent to $17.570 billion. This sector will improve in 2021 but is not forecast to make a full recovery until 2022, the report said.

Spending on IT devices in the Kingdom is also forecast to see a surge in spending in 2021, up 7.1 percent to $4.687 billion. In parallel with this, software spending is expected to grow 9.1 percent in 2021 to $1.4 billion and continue to grow, with double-digit growth over the next few years, rising 12.4 percent in 2022, 11.5 percent in 2023 and 2024 and 12.2 percent in 2025.

“Most industries in Saudi Arabia will recover to 2019 spending levels by the end of this year,” a Gartner analyst told Arab News. “Notable exceptions are retail, manufacturing and wholesale trade. Once the retail industry adjusts to the new reality, IT spending growth jumps to 10.5 percent in 2022 and maintains the highest growth rate of all industries through 2025. Manufacturing will wait longer for a sustained global trade recovery before investing heavily in IT — 2019 levels do not return until 2023.”

Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), Gartner said that IT spending is projected to total $171 billion in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent.

“IT projects were either put on hold or canceled in MENA because of COVID-19. In 2021, as the situation in the region improves and businesses understand the true value of a resilient digital ecosystem, IT spending will return to a pre-pandemic growth rate,” John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner, said in a press statement.

“In the first quarter of 2021 projects such as ‘remote work visas,’ ‘Smart Dubai 2021,’ and other economic policy regulations were launched. These are expected to boost technology investments in the region,” he said.


Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

Updated 05 March 2026
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Saudi Maaden reports 156% profit surge to $2bn on strong commodity prices, record production

RIYADH: Saudi mining and metals company Maaden has reported a 156 percent jump in its net profit attributable to shareholders for 2025, driven by higher commodity prices, record production volumes, and a one-off bargain purchase gain.

The state-backed giant posted a net profit of SR7.35 billion ($1.95 billion) for the full year 2025, an increase from SR2.87 billion in the previous year. The firm’s revenue surged by 19 percent to SR38.58 billion, up from SR32.55 billion in 2024.

This comes as Saudi Arabia steps up efforts to expand its mining sector as a pillar of economic diversification, encouraging international participation and private investment to unlock the Kingdom’s estimated $2.5 trillion in untapped mineral resources under Vision 2030.    

In a statement on Tadawul, the company said: “Performance was led by record phosphate production, near record aluminum production, an increase in all three of Maaden’s main output commodity prices.”

The performance was also fueled by a 60 percent increase in gross profit, which reached SR14.79 billion. In its annual results announcement, Maaden attributed the top-line growth to “higher commodity market prices for phosphate, aluminum and gold business units,” as well as increased sales volumes in its phosphate and aluminum segments. This was partially offset by slightly lower sales volume in the gold unit.

Maaden’s CEO, Bob Wilt, hailed 2025 as a transformative year for the company, marked by strategic growth and operational excellence. “This was a great year for Maaden’s strategic growth. We delivered strong financial results and sustained operational excellence across the business,” he said in a statement.

“This was driven by growth in production across all businesses, including record-breaking DAP (di-ammonium phosphatevolumes), disciplined cost control across and a clear commitment to our role as a cornerstone of the Saudi economy,” Wilt added.

Profitability was further bolstered by an increased share of net profit from joint ventures and an associate. This included a one-off bargain purchase gain of SR768 million related to Maaden’s investment in Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. The company also benefited from lower finance costs.

The fourth quarter of 2025 was strong, with Maaden swinging to a net profit of SR1.67 billion, compared to a loss of SR106 million in the same period of the prior year. Quarterly revenue rose 7 percent to SR10.64 billion.

The firm achieved record production of di-ammonium phosphate, reaching 6.72 million tonnes for the year, a 9 percent increase. Aluminum production remained near-record levels, while the company added a net 7.8 million ounces to its reportable gold mineral resources through discovery and resource development.

The phosphate division saw sales jump 17 percent to SR20.77 billion, with the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margin expanding to 47 percent. The aluminum business reported a 9 percent increase in sales to SR10.99 billion, with EBITDA more than doubling in the fourth quarter.

Looking ahead, Wilt emphasized that the pace of growth will accelerate as the company advances key initiatives, including the Phosphate 3 Phase 1 and Ar Rjum projects, which remain on budget and schedule. Maaden has also secured a gas supply for its future Phosphate 4 project.

“This pace of growth will only accelerate. Not only as we advance projects and increase the scale of our exploration program, but as we continue to grow production and implement technology that will further modernize, streamline and unlock value,” Wilt added.

Earnings per share for the year rose sharply to SR1.91, up from SR0.78 in 2024. Total shareholders’ equity increased by 18.7 percent to SR61.59 billion.