Digital Economy Share in Saudi Arabia’s GDP Reaches 16.0%

Results of the Digital Economy Survey for 2024 showed an increase in the share of the digital economy in the Kingdom’s gross domestic product (GDP), reaching 16% compared with 15.6% in 2023, an increase of 0.4 percentage points, according to the levels of the digital economy.
 The contribution of the core digital economy stood at 2.7%, while the narrow digital economy accounted for 2.4%. The broad digital economy represented the largest share at 10.9% of GDP.
 The bulletin results indicated that operating revenues of the information and communications technology sector reached SAR249.8 billion in 2024, led by wired and wireless telecommunications activities with revenues of SAR133.9 billion, followed by computer programming activities with revenues of SAR31.1 billion. Operating expenditures of the sector amounted to SAR122.2 billion, while compensation of employees reached SAR29.2 billion, with wired and wireless telecommunications activities topping the list at SAR16.1 billion.
 Regarding foreign trade, the results revealed an increase in imports of ICT goods from SAR54.9 billion in 2023 to SAR67.9 billion in 2024, a 23.5% growth, led by communications equipment valued at SAR36.8 billion. The value of exports and re-exports of ICT goods rose to SAR25.8 billion, up from SAR11.8 billion in 2023, representing 118% growth.