ICT
From The Report: Kuwait 2017
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ICT sits at the heart of the government’s 2035 strategy, New Kuwait, launched in 2017, but Kuwait has already made great strides in the digital economy. In the “Global Information Technology Report 2016” by the World Economic Forum, the country was among the biggest risers, and regulatory reforms are being put in place to usher in an era where tech companies help speed up the evolution towards a diversified and knowledge-based economy. State funding is being used to create an ecosystem that will help start-ups develop, while larger firms and state agencies work to boost efficiency and productivity through a growing range of solutions that streamline processes and allow the real-time analysis of consumer behaviour. Although ICT covers all sectors of the economy, its true significance is partially captured by government data on the industry. According to the latest data available from the Central Statistical Bureau, the communications sector generated KD1.294bn ($3.92bn) in GDP in 2015, up marginally from KD1.292bn ($3.91bn) the previous year. This was equal to 5.2% of non-oil GDP and 3.2% of overall GDP at current prices.

This chapter contains an interview with Qusai Al Shatti, Acting Director-General, Central Agency for Information Technology.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Making connections: The government works to keep pace with a tech-savvy population
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ICT sits at the heart of the government’s 2035 strategy, New Kuwait, launched in 2017, but Kuwait has already made great strides in the digital economy. In the “Global Information Technology Report 2016” by the World Economic Forum (WEF), the country was among the biggest risers, and regulatory reforms are being put in place to usher in an era where tech companies help speed up the evolution towards a diversified knowledge-based economy. State funding is being used to create an ecosystem…

Analysis

Fostering innovation: State agencies and successful businesspeople help cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit
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Given Kuwait’s cosmopolitan taste for fine dining from around the world, it is unsurprising that its most celebrated start-up story has a culinary flavour. It may be two years since the German company Rocket Internet paid $165m for Talabat, the Kuwaiti restaurant delivery app, but the story of its success has given a new generation of entrepreneurs a taste for e-commerce. TALABAT: While Talabat’s success story drew attention to Kuwait’s start-up scene, the story behind its expansion…

Interview

Streamline and improve: Qusai Al Shatti, Acting Director-General, Central Agency for Information Technology (CAIT), on e-government initiatives
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Interview: Qusai Al Shatti What are the most important impacts of ICT on the processes of government organisations? QUSAI AL SHATTI: Advances in ICT are having far-reaching effects on many areas of the economy, including government services, processes and structures. Greater connectivity, together with e-government initiatives, means that services can be provided in real time and with greater mobility. At the same time, as people become increasingly accustomed to technology and a high level of…