Ahead of the technology conference LEAP 2024 in Riyadh Cisco announced the findings of its AI Readiness Index in Saudi Arabia. The survey showed that 93 per cent of organisations in the kingdom have an AI strategy in place or under development. Nevertheless, only eight per cent could consider themselves fully prepared to deploy and leverage AI.
Some of the top outcomes that companies are looking to drive through the adoption of AI include – increasing productivity and improving efficiency. Close to 47 per cent of the respondents in KSA placed these factors as the top gains they expect from AI. Lower on the list of expectations was opening new revenue streams, 30 per cent of the respondents ranked this factor.
Salman Faqeeh, Managing Director, Cisco Saudi Arabia stated in the press note, Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in recent years to establish itself as a leading player in the field of AI. He added the team believes in the role AI to revolutionise industries and drive innovation, and it has been an important element across our portfolio for over a decade.
He said, “As the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA) is working to implement the National Strategy for Data and AI, the insights from the index can help inform the prioritization across important pillars including strategy, infrastructure, data, governance, talent, and culture.”
On talent development, 31 per cent of KSA respondents ranked comprehension and proficiency of AI tools and technologies as the primary skill gap. The good news is that organizations are taking steps to address this gap. Among the organisations surveyed close to 82 per cent say they are investing in training employees in this area.
On infrastructure readiness, the survey shows that a mere 12 per cent of local organisations in the king dom have networks that are fully flexible to handle the complexity of AI workloads. Cybersecurity also needs increased focus, as 70% of respondents fall short of being “fully equipped” to detect and prevent adversarial attacks on AI models.
This year, Cisco’s participation at LEAP is revolving around the theme of “AI Unleashed: Shaping Sustainable Digital Evolution”. Reem Asaad, Vice President for Cisco Middle East, Türkiye, Africa, Romania, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), commented,“Cisco has a long-standing presence in the region, working to advance national digital economies, develop infrastructure, strengthen cybersecurity, and build the region’s talent pool. This year at LEAP, we are excited to demonstrate the power of our portfolio to support our customers and partners in Saudi Arabia and beyond in leveraging our latest technologies to increase efficiencies and drive innovation.”
