Nine in 10 IT decision-makers (92 percent) from Saudi Arabia’s government agree that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated their digital transformation over the past year.
The figure came from the latest study by YouGov, which was launched by global technology company SAP in the run-up to LEAP, the platform attracting leaders from around the world on February 1-3, 2022.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is in a large-scale phase of digital transformation, especially in the public sector, and we are proud to partner with some of the most strategic projects leading with our innovation business software solutions”, said Ahmed Al-Faifi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Middle East North, SAP “Thanks to initiatives such as Saudi Vision 2030, Smart Cities and among others NEOM and The Red Sea Project, the Kingdom is on the path to becoming a technology hub leading with innovations in the Cloud.”
According to the study, the top three priority areas for Saudi government organisations’ digital investment in 2022 and beyond, 67 percent said human capital management, 61 percent said enterprise resource planning, 56 percent said core solutions, 41 percent said customer experience, 41 percent said predictive analytics, and 34 percent said procurement.
With emerging technologies continuing to develop and mature, many of the Kingdom’s government and public sector organizations are at the forefront of adopting innovative solutions.
The study also revealed that government firms in Saudi Arabia will prioritise artificial intelligence and machine learning (77 percent), the Internet of Things (65 percent), cloud (51 percent), predictive analytics (38 percent), robotic process automation (36 percent), and blockchain (35 percent) in 2022 and beyond.
“The Kingdom’s National Strategy for Data and AI is already seeing a ripple effect, with 77 percent of government IT decision-makers prioritising artificial intelligence and machine learning for the next year to optimise operations, talent development, and citizen experiences,” added Al-Faifi. “As Saudi Arabia begins to emerge from the pandemic, the Kingdom is playing an important role in creating a platform for diversified entrepreneurship in emerging sectors. With SAP’s knowledge exchange programs, the youth skills and talent are constantly developing, creating a new generation of leaders.”
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