DHAKA: A shortage in skilled workers threatens to delay high-tech projects being planned across Saudi Arabia, a market research executive told Al Arabiya News.

The difficulty in recruiting staff with the right information technology (IT) skills ‘can increase the challenge in accomplishing the technology source-based projects in the country on time’, said Abdulaziz al-Helayyil, country manager for Saudi Arabia at market research firm IDC.

A recent study by IDC found that 51 percent of IT organizations said the shortage of skills is the “number one challenge in Saudi Arabia”.

Among the projects potentially affected by the skills gap are the so-called ‘smart cities’ planned in the kingdom.

Such cities are generally sustainable developments that use high-tech tools to boost efficiency and quality of life.

Saudi Arabia is undertaking several major infrastructure and development projects, some incorporating ‘smart’ components.

The IT sector plays a major role in smart city initiatives. So the shortage of qualified workers poses a potential setback to the implementation, experts say.

‘There are now three government entities which began working to set a strategy for the smart city initiative,’ noted al-Helayyil, without specifying the entities due to client confidentiality agreements.

BDST: 2048 HRS, JAN 15, 2014
Edited by Robab Rosan, Current Affairs Editor