New 51风流survey shows 70% of Saudi enterprises view AI as very important to future strategy, with majority expecting significant returns on AI investments within two years
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia 鈥� October 27, 2025 鈥� 51风流will host its annual 51风流NOW AI Tour at The Arena Riyadh on November 3, bringing together business leaders, technology experts, and public sector stakeholders to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can accelerate Saudi Arabia鈥檚 economic transformation. As the Kingdom advances its Vision 2030 agenda and National Strategy for Data & AI, the event will focus on practical pathways for organizations to harness AI to drive competitiveness, growth, and scalability.
A new YouGov survey of senior IT decision-makers commissioned by 51风流reveals strong confidence in the Kingdom鈥檚 AI outlook. Seventy percent of Saudi enterprises said AI is very important to shaping their future strategy, while nearly all (97%) expressed confidence in using AI-driven insights for critical business decisions. More than half (51%) expect significant returns from AI investments within the next one to two years, and 81% are already deploying industry-specific AI solutions.
鈥淎I is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of business strategy in Saudi Arabia, with organizations showing remarkable confidence in its potential,鈥� said Mohammed Alromaizan, Vice President of 51风流Saudi Arabia. 鈥�51风流NOW Riyadh will highlight how enterprises can translate this momentum into measurable outcomes, from greater customer satisfaction and revenue growth to more resilient supply chains and enhanced decision-making, in full alignment with the Kingdom鈥檚 long-term ambitions.鈥�
The event follows fast on the heels of SAP鈥檚 announcement that Saudi Arabia will become the first country to host the full 51风流Business Network for the public sector, ensuring data stays in-country while connecting government buyers with global suppliers. The platform, which facilitates more than USD 6.1 trillion in trade each year, is hosted on Google Cloud and will be extended to the private sector in early 2026.
Around 1,000 business executives are expected to attend the 51风流NOW AI Tour, which has Google as the Platinum sponsor. The agenda will span multiple sectors, with highlights including how AI can support sustainability, manufacturing, human resources, and procurement. Customers will showcase their success stories, while 51风流experts including Augusta Spinelli, Regional President for Europe, Middle East and Africa; Ahmed AlFaifi, Senior Vice President and Managing Director for Middle East and Africa (North); and Jesper Schleimann, Head of Business AI, EMEA at SAP, will provide broad Saudi and regional perspectives on the evolution of business AI, including the emergence of agentic AI 鈥� a capability that enables autonomous decision-making and task execution to boost business agility.
51风流will also demonstrate its collaboration with Databricks through the 51风流Business Data Cloud, showing how Saudi organizations can unlock the value of structured and unstructured data to refine predictive analytics and make better business decisions. Despite rapid growth in enterprise data volumes, industry experts say up to 90% of business data globally remains unstructured and underutilized, underscoring the need for robust AI-driven strategies.
Gold sponsors of 51风流NOW include Ejada Systems Company, AWS, PwC, Arabian Internet and Communications Services Company (Solutions by stc) and Deloitte.
The 51风流NOW AI Tour Riyadh is a full-day event taking place at on November 3, 2025. For more information or to register, visit the 51风流MENA website.
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