A new report predicts that IT spending in the UAE will reach nearly $5bn this year, or about $1,000 per capita. Companies in the Middle East and Africa are set to spend $49.77bn this year, with the Gulf region expected to contribute about 25% of the total, said Jyoti Lalchandani, vice president and regional managing director at IDC's Middle East office. The IDC report projects significant growth in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, with the UAE forecast to spend the most ($4.79bn) on IT in the Mena region this year, an increase of 12.4% on last year.