The transformative SOURCE

Increased demand for cloud computing and e-governance will each prove sizable long-term boons to the sector.

Elm is a leading organization in terms of public service and bringing forth the country’s digitalization agenda. This partnership is aimed at encouraging technical capabilities in the field of machine learning, AI, business intelligence, and big data. Elm has partnered with many governmental industries to help them achieve the milestones needed to reach Vision 2030. Elm has also been influential in the digitalization of the public sectors. It was time for Microsoft, with all its efforts with the public and private sector, to align itself with Elm to maximize the impact we can bring to various sectors. There is a great deal Microsoft has been doing and will continue to do in this respect. Microsoft provides this digitalization in terms of products, services, capabilities, and partnerships, while Elm has all the local presence expertise. This combination will have a significant impact.

THAMER ALHARBI

Since HPE was established in Saudi Arabia in 1985, we have been focusing on the digital transformation of the Kingdom. We are proud of our position and contribution, and we support the country in many ways by empowering the different areas that affect the quality of life for our citizens, residents, and visitors. This includes supporting financial services, healthcare services, telecoms, and government e-services. Hybrid IT is a business differentiator that enables companies to focus on what matters. In fact, our infrastructure solutions department called Hybrid IT is where our employees, along with our partners, work continuously to create new solutions that solve problems or enhance services.

ISSA AL-KHAMEES How are companies incorporating cloud computing and AI into their everyday operations?

Saudi Arabia’s initial foray into AI was in 2008 when USD13 million was invested in virtual and augmented reality technology. A further USD535 million was spent in 2018, mainly across two major transactions related to the IoT. Investment in this area has been the mainstay of Saudi activity over the past decade. Today, Saudi companies, particularly at the C-suite level and especially amongst executive managers, are aware of the emergence of AI technologies, their applications for business, and the economic ramifications of not keeping up to date. A report commissioned by Microsoft and conducted by EY reveals that 16% of Saudi businesses today are currently using AI across their business processes and a further 26% are actively planning AI activity. That said, many other companies, and some entire sectors, are still a long way from implementing this technology, an issue that largely comes down to justifying how AI will provide a meaningful ROI, complicated legacy IT systems, a lack of relevantly skilled personnel, and insufficient or poor-quality data. Still, the report clearly indicates that progress is being made, and we expect Saudi companies generally to continue to improve in AI maturity over the next few years.

TA

Cloud Computing is a solid trend as it brings many benefits to the country. HPE today is engaged in many cloud projects in the country with the public and private sectors as well as with service providers. With our partners, we help link the country to our own cloud aggregator platform, Cloud 28+, a worldwide platform that helps cloud services providers, technology partners, and consumers look for the right answers. We do not only look at the cloud as a technology, we actually created a financial model to support cloud users, a pay-as-you-go program known as HPE GreenLake. It has more than eight services. Our clients only pay as much they use. ✖

IAK

What role does Amadeus play in Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation, and how are its priorities aligned with Vision 2030?

Amadeus is a global technology company listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange with 19,000 employees connecting over 1.6 billion people a year to local travel providers in over 190 countries. The company started more than 30 years ago as an IT system provider for airlines before evolving into a leading company providing advanced-technology solutions for the global travel industry. Technology has always been critical to developing global travel, and increasing scale and access, something that mobile devices, AI, and data analytics are continuing. As such, we are positioned at the heart of the country’s digital transformation.

How do you expect demand for the Live Travel Space to evolve?

Today, our Amadeus Travel Channels business embraces the concept of Live Travel Space, a new concept powered by cloud technology called Amadeus Travel Platform, a robust platform built on open systems that harnesses the intelligent use of data and integrates new interfaces and architectures to provide our travel channels with B2B- and B2C-level access to all global travel content in one single place. As 80% of consumers worldwide now own smartphones, travelers expect information on demand for new content, destinations, and a better booking experience. At Amadeus, we develop technology every day, harnessing the intelligent use of data and integrating new devices and architectures to deliver personalized and integrated journeys. Our technology ensures transparency, choice, and simplicity for travelers and gives our customers the tools to drive growth and efficiency. ✖