Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH —The share of the digital economy in Saudi Arabia’s gross domestic product (GDP)recorded an increase of 0.4 percent reaching 16 percent during the year 2024 compared with 15.6 percent in 2023. This was revealed in the results of the Digital Economy Survey bulletin for the year 2024.

The contribution of the core digital economy stood at 2.7 percent, while the narrow digital economy accounted for 2.4 percent. The broad digital economy represented the largest share at10.9 percent of GDP.

The bulletin stated that operating revenues of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector reached SR249.8 billion in 2024, led by wired and wireless telecommunications activities with revenues of SR133.9 billion, followed by computer programming activities with revenues of SR31.1 billion.

Operating expenditures of the sector amounted to SR122.2 billion, while compensation of employees reached SR29.2 billion, with wired and wireless telecommunications activities topping the list at SR16.1 billion.

Regarding foreign trade, the survey results revealed an increase in imports of ICT goods from SR54.9 billion in 2023 to SR67.9 billion in 2024, a 23.5 percent growth, led by communications equipment valued at SR36.8 billion. The value of exports and re-exports of ICT goods rose to SR25.8 billion, up from SR11.8 billion in 2023, representing 118 percent growth.