Smartphones now rival laptops as the single most desired device by 18-30 year olds in the Middle East as they are seen as the most versatile and compact, according to the 2012 Cisco Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR).
If they had to choose only one device, more than half of respondents preferred a smart phone, while slightly more than a third favored laptops.
Smartphones have surpassed desktop computers as the preferred workplace device from a global perspective.
Smartphones were rated nearly twice as popular as a laptop PC.
The results are based on a survey commissioned by Cisco of 1920 university students and young professionals aged 18 to 30 globally.
The report examines how this generation uses the Internet and mobile devices to connect with the world around them, and reveals their behaviors, attitudes, issues, and concerns about the creation, access, management, and privacy of the enormous amounts of data being generated daily by smart phones, sensors, video cameras, monitors, and other connected devices.
Key findings in the Middle East: Three out of five (60 percent) of respondents in the Middle East use three devices during a typical day while nearly 30 percent use more than four devices.
Almost 55 percent of 18-30 year olds selected smart phones as the single most desired device while only one out of three (33 percent) preferred laptop computers.
Nearly three out of five (56 percent) of the respondents said they rely on mobile applications all the time whereas about 22 percent use mobile applications for games or entertainment.
Cisco Research: Smartphones beating laptops
Cisco Research: Smartphones beating laptops
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment projects worth SR8bn launched in Makkah
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company has announced the launch of several real estate projects belonging to the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment system in Makkah, with a total investment exceeding SR8 billion ($2.1 billion). These projects include commercial, residential, and hospitality developments, as well as strategic land plots, as part of the company’s commitment to supporting the Kingdom’s real estate sector and enhancing the quality of life in the holy city.
The announcement was made during a field tour by a delegation of high-level officials including Saleh Al-Rasheed, CEO of the Royal Commission for Makkah City and Holy Sites; Ihsan Bafakih, chairman of the board of directors of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Haitham Al-Fayez, chairman of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company; Moath Al-Mukhudub, managing director and CEO of Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate Company; and Anas Mansour Abadi, CEO of real estate at Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Holding Company and representative of the Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Endowment, alongside members of the board of directors of both the holding and real estate companies and the executive team.
The tour included the launch of the Tilal Towers project, with an investment value of SR2 billion, featuring more than 2,500 hotel rooms, strengthening the hospitality sector in Makkah.
The delegation also visited the Tilal Village project, valued at SR2.8 billion. It is one of the prominent qualitative projects within the hospitality ecosystem in Makkah.
Furthermore, the visit covered the residential buildings within Tilal Village, comprising 828 units, with an investment of SR800 million. The delegation inspected the specialized hospital, medical complex housing, and the office and commercial plazas.
During the tour, a contract was signed for the Al-Rajhi Center project, valued at SR250 million, as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.
The inspection also included the Al-Ukayshiyyah land, spanning 4 million square meters, and the Al-Ghazzawi project land, valued at SR250 million.
The tour concluded with prayers at the Aisha Al-Rajhi Mosque, the second-largest mosque in Makkah after the Grand Mosque, with a capacity for 50,000 worshippers.
This visit underscores the importance of these investments, which represent a clear direction toward enhancing the management of the endowment’s assets through diversification, redevelopment, and strategic expansion, in line with the development goals of the Makkah city and Saudi Vision 2030.
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi Real Estate, a subsidiary of Sulaiman bin Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi Holding Company, continues to provide innovative solutions to elevate the real estate sector to international standards.
