Saudi Arabian companies are increasingly seeing tangible benefits from their artificial intelligence investments, with 91% of organisations reporting that their AI initiatives are meeting or exceeding expectations, according to a new survey commissioned by SAP and conducted by YouGov.
The findings highlight the Kingdom’s growing maturity in AI adoption. Businesses are moving beyond pilot projects and embedding AI into broader corporate strategies. As a result, companies are focusing on measurable outcomes, workforce readiness, and long-term value creation.
Saudi Firms See Strong Returns From AI Investments
The SAP-YouGov survey, which covered 260 chief IT decision-makers across Saudi Arabia, found that half of the organisations surveyed reported AI returns that exceeded expectations. Another 41% said their AI investments were meeting expectations.
The results suggest that Saudi enterprises are successfully translating AI adoption into business value. Moreover, organisations are becoming more disciplined in how they plan, deploy, and evaluate AI initiatives.
Enterprise-Wide AI Adoption Gains Momentum
The study found that 59% of respondents now prioritise AI investment strategically across the entire organisation. This marks a clear shift away from isolated AI experiments toward structured, business-led implementation.
As companies scale their AI programmes, leadership teams are increasingly aligning technology investments with broader business objectives. Consequently, AI is becoming a core pillar of digital transformation strategies across sectors.
Workforce Upskilling Emerges as a Key Priority
Saudi organisations are also investing heavily in workforce development to support AI adoption.
According to the survey, 54% of companies are upskilling or reskilling employees at scale. In addition, 52% are providing targeted AI training programmes for specific job functions.
These efforts reflect a growing recognition that successful AI deployment requires both technology investment and workforce readiness.
Demand for AI Talent Continues to Rise
Alongside internal training initiatives, organisations are expanding their recruitment efforts.
The survey found that 53% of respondents are hiring new AI-related talent. This trend highlights the increasing demand for specialised skills as businesses accelerate AI integration across operations.
Industry experts believe the combination of hiring and employee development will help organisations build sustainable AI capabilities over the long term.
SAP Highlights Focus on Long-Term AI Value
Commenting on the findings, Ahmed AlFaifi, Managing Director and Senior Vice President of SAP Middle East Africa-North, said organisations in Saudi Arabia are pairing disciplined investment strategies with workforce preparation to unlock lasting value from AI.
According to AlFaifi, enterprises are taking a structured approach to adoption, ensuring that AI initiatives generate measurable business outcomes while preparing employees for future workplace requirements.
Survey Methodology
The research was conducted by YouGov on behalf of SAP during the first quarter of 2026. The survey included 260 chief IT decision-makers from companies of various sizes operating across multiple sectors in Saudi Arabia.
SAP has more than five decades of experience supporting enterprise customers globally across finance, procurement, human resources, supply chain management, and customer experience functions.
