Blockchain is among six emerging technologies that will be prioritized by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA)’s IT decision makers in 2022 and beyond, according to a recent study.

Effect of Covid-19

The government of Saudi Arabia’s IT decision makers have named blockchain as one of the six technologies they plan to prioritize in 2022 and beyond, a survey study has found. In addition, the study found that an overwhelming majority of the decision makers agreed that Covid-19 has accelerated Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation.

According to a Datatechvibe report, which cites the latest Yougov survey, artificial intelligence and machine learning are the technologies that 77% of the respondents plan to prioritize. About 65% of the respondents said they will prioritize the internet of things (IoT), while 51% said they will focus on cloud technology.

Predictive analytics (38%), robotic process automation (36%), and blockchain (35%) complete the list of the six technologies that IT leaders plan to prioritize starting this year.

Concerning the top three areas of priority that will be on the agenda of the Saudi government organizations, the report said 67% of the respondents listed human capital management, while 61% cited enterprise resource planning. About 56% said core solutions while 41% said customer experience and predictive analytics were the priority.

Diversified Entrepreneurship in Emerging Sectors

Meanwhile, in his interpretation of the study’s findings, Ahmed Al-Faifi, whose firm conducted the survey, said:

“The Kingdom’s National Strategy for Data and AI is already seeing a ripple effect, with 77 per cent of government IT decision-makers prioritising artificial intelligence and machine learning for the next year to optimise operations, talent development, and citizen experiences.”

Al-Faifi, senior vice president at the global technology company SAP, added that as Saudi Arabia starts to emerge from the pandemic, the kingdom will continue to play its role of providing “a platform for diversified entrepreneurship in emerging sectors.”

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