After three years of decreased spending on information and communications technology (ICT) in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa, more money is expected to pour into the sector in 2019 signaling a modest recovery and a renewed push for digital transformation, according to a new report.
"ICT and telco services [spending] contracted by around 2 per cent in 2018 … however, this year, we are expecting a year-on-year recovery by about 2.5 per cent” to $213 billion, said Jyoti Lalchandani, group vice president and regional managing director, META region, at Massachusetts-based researcher International Data Corporation (IDC), which issued its forecast on Wednesday.
IDC noted several regional headwinds – currency fluctuations, weak consumer demand and political uncertainties - are impacting the amount of spending on technology infrastructure in the region.
“META is going through currency fluctuations in different markets, we had it in Egypt in 2017 and it was followed in Turkey last year. Now we have elections coming up in Nigeria, South Africa and local votes in Turkey, adding more to the uncertainties in the market,” said Mr Lalchandani. Weaker consumer demand has adversely impacted spending on devices such as smartphones in particular, he added.
Estimates for 2019 are still hovering around 2016 levels and less than a peak in 2015 of $221bn.
In the region, telco services, like telephone lines and wireless signals, constitute 60 per cent of overall ICT spending with the remainder going to IT - including both hardware and software.
South Africa, which is expected to spend $14.7bn alone on IT services, will be the biggest spender in this segment in Meta, followed by Saudi Arabia ($11bn), Turkey ($8.3bn) and the UAE ($8bn).
“Growth will come in infrastructure (servers, storage and networks), services and software segments. Whereas hardware spending will continue experiencing contraction in 2019,” said Mr Lalchandani.
“Many factors like softer consumer demand, introduction of VAT and (fluctuating) disposable incomes has affected IT hardware spending.”
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One of the key drivers for ICT spending in Meta will be digital transformation initiatives to bring business and government initiatives online, with spending expected to surpass $25bn, up from nearly $20bn last year.
Saudi Arabia, the Arab world’s largest economy, will spend 1 per cent more reaching $34.5bn in 2019. Some of the major growth drivers are the adoption of new technology and government-driven initiatives like Vision 2030 and the Neom smart city mega-project.
“Global data vendors are investing in expanding data centre capacity in and around Saudi Arabia. We are also seeing IoT (Internet of Things) becoming more and more pertinent and this trend will continue in 2019,” said Hamza Naqshbandi, country manager for IDC Saudi Arabia.
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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FULL%20RESULTS
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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