Middle East IT spending predicted rising to $21.5bn this year

According to a report by IDC, spending on information technology in the Middle East is expected to reach $21.5bn in 2012, as companies invest in “game changing” technologies such as cloud services and social networking, Gulf News has reported.  The figures represent a growth rate of 11% year-on-year and highlight the growing importance of the region in the global IT landscape. “We see the Middle East as a strategic market with super high growth rates; it is critically important for the IT industry and IT trends in general,” said Kirk Campbell, IDC’s president and CEO. The research firm predicts the UAE and Saudi Arabia to account for 55% of overall IT spending in the Middle East this year with the six-member GCC accounting for 70%.