Open source software in the UAE: A survey research

Abstract

The UAE is one of the most technologically advanced countriesin the Gulf region and the Middle East. IDC expects total IT spending in theUAE to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 6.0% over the five-year forecast period, reaching $8.06 billion in 2017. According to the latestsurvey by the World Economic Forum: The Global InformationTechnology Report 2014, the UAE now ranks 24th in the world in terms ofIT spending. In this research paper, we look closely at Open SourceSoftware usage in the UAE. A survey study was conducted in fourcategories-governments and ministries, IT companies, universities and ITenthusiasts to explore the opportunities and challenges faced by thissegment of the software industry. The study is also compared with twoArabic countries: KSA and Tunisia. This is the first study of its kind in this part of the world and is expected to contribute significantly to the globaldirection for Open Source Software.