Saudi Arabia’s business landscape is rapidly advancing in artificial intelligence adoption, with 81% of enterprises already using AI solutions tailored to their specific industries, according to a new YouGov survey commissioned by SAP. The findings point to a clear shift from experimentation to large-scale, results-driven implementation across the Kingdom.
The survey also highlights the growing importance of data readiness in enabling AI success. Nearly all respondents 96% said they plan to invest in data consolidation and data quality improvement initiatives over the next year. This emphasis reflects a shared understanding that strong, reliable data foundations are critical to unlocking the full value of AI technologies.
These insights were unveiled at the SAP NOW AI Tour Riyadh, an event that brought together business leaders, government representatives, and technology experts to explore how AI is supporting Saudi Arabia’s broader economic transformation. The event also marked the expansion of the Saudi Business Network, recognized as the world’s first regulated public-sector deployment of SAP Business Network. This initiative allows local enterprises to connect with global procurement ecosystems while maintaining compliance with national regulations.
Commenting on the findings, Dr. Fahd Nawwab, Vice President of SAP Saudi Arabia, noted that Saudi organizations are increasingly focused on scalable, measurable outcomes. Rather than treating AI as a standalone initiative, enterprises are embedding it across core operations from manufacturing and supply chains to finance and enterprise management to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitiveness. This momentum aligns closely with Vision 2030, where technology plays a central role in economic diversification and long-term growth.
Customer-centric outcomes are a top priority for Saudi enterprises adopting AI. The survey found that 52% of respondents view improved customer satisfaction as the primary measure of AI success. Other key objectives include cost reduction (48%), increased revenue (47%), and enhanced decision-making (47%). Notably, more than half of the organizations surveyed expect to see significant returns on their AI investments within one to two years, underscoring how quickly AI is delivering tangible business value.
During the event, attendees explored SAP’s latest AI innovations, including agentic AI, which enables systems to act autonomously, and the SAP Business Data Cloud, developed in collaboration with Databricks. With perspectives from global leaders such as Augusta Spinelli, SAP Regional President for EMEA, the event reinforced Saudi Arabia’s growing role as a regional and global leader in AI-driven transformation.