Arab Gulf storage software market grew 32% in 2004

In 2003, total spending on storage software leapt by 32% in the Arab Gulf States (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, UAE), and according to a new IDC study, 2004 should prove to be just as dynamic, as businesses and governments in the area continued to be inundated with massive influxes of information. Saudi Arabia accounted for the largest share of the software storage market last year and was followed by the United Arab Emirates. Together, these two represented almost 75% of spending on storage software in 2003.

The process manufacturing sector (mainly oil and gas) represented the largest source of demand at 30.7% of market share. The finance sector, largely comprised of banks, was the second most important segment, with 24.9%. Other key segments included telecommunications and the public sector.