RIYADH: Saudi establishments are on the fast lane of adoption of information technology, with education and manufacturing activities last year registering 98.6 percent and 97.6 percent internet usage, respectively.

According to the 2022 Survey of Information and Communication Technology Access and Usage by Establishments conducted by the General Authority for Statistics, known as GASTAT, 96.1 percent of Saudi establishments used the internet last year.

Topping the list of activities of establishments that use the internet the most was information and communication, at 98.9 percent.

Approximately 58.7 percent of businesses use fixed phones for business purposes, whereas 76 percent use mobile phones. 

The survey also reported that of the 94.6 percent of establishments that use computers, 67.8 percent trained their employees on computer programs and applications.  

Due to its digitalized nature, academia led in computer utility, as 99.7 percent of establishments in education activities used computers.  

Of the establishments listed in the survey, 69.4 percent have an intranetwork — a private network within an organization — mostly found in finance and insurance. 

Less than half of the companies — 45.6 percent — that use the internet have a website, with financial and insurance activities leading the way.  

The survey also revealed that around 52.6 percent of institutions in Saudi Arabia have a social media account, most of which is that of education. 

In 2022, establishments using cloud computing for financial or accounting software applications accounted for 34.5 percent.  

According to a GASTAT bulletin released earlier this month, the percentage of people utilizing the internet in the Kingdom increased to 94.3 percent in 2022. 

The authority reported that the percentage of people 15 years or older who use the internet has climbed to 94.3 percent, up 1.4 percent from 2021. 

Additionally, it revealed that men used the internet at a rate of 95 percent, while women used it at 93.3 percent in 2022.  

Saudis make up 93.6 percent of internet users, while non-Saudis make up 95.2 percent, according to the GASTAT data.  

Around 96.5 percent of families had access to the internet last year and 57.3 percent had a computer at home. 

As for computer usage, 49.3 percent of people aged 15 and up used a computer last year, 55.1 percent of which were Saudis.