Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) recently announced SAP as a Level 3 Cloud Service Provider (CSP)—a move that will boost even more confidence among the nation’s private and public organizations in embracing the cloud and ramping up cloud investments.

Ahmed Al-Faifi, Senior Vice Pesident and Managing Director of SAP Middle East North, said:

“Receiving Level 3 certificate underlines our investment in secure and scalable infrastructure to support Saudi Vision 2030 and allows the public sector to embrace the business benefits of the public cloud.”

Previously, the country signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with SAP as part of its cloud transformation strategy to enhance the digital capabilities of services related to Hajj and Umrah. In the agreement, SAP will develop innovative cloud technologies to enhance travel processes, optimize transportation routes, and support digital payments for the more than 2 million pilgrims from 168 countries who arrive in Makkah each year.

The announcements follow SAP’s ongoing 4-year SR285 million Saudi investment plan in support of Saudi Vision 2030 and the Invest Saudi banner under the country’s National Transformation Plan to attract multinational, regional, and local investors.

The global software provider offers best-in-class cloud hosting service solutions for thousands of companies worldwide. With SAP Cloud Data Center’s high-powered cloud computing services, the complexity of running a large in-house technical team to maintain ERP systems is simplified while ensuring data security and accessibility is maintained at all times. Running on public or private clouds can optimize costs, scale-up services, and free up staff for core business innovation.

From private start-ups to public agencies, cloud transformation is among the major topics discussed in Saudi’s boardrooms. According to a survey, the majority of Saudi organizations say keeping data in-country is important to them—a clear demonstration of increased demand for cloud data centers like SAP’s. Moreover, 52 percent have increased their cloud spend over the past year, while 66 percent say they are comfortable running their IT applications on the public cloud.

Proof of this is the successful cloud transformation of two of Saudi Arabia’s top organizations—Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) and The Red Sea Development Project.

With SAP SuccessFactors running on the SAP Cloud Data Center, multinational chemical manufacturing company SABIC has transformed its human capital management across more than 40 countries to strengthen its culture of leadership. The company’s global HR systems have enabled improved process standardization and automation in its global and regional operations and have created a consistent organizational framework that enhanced collaboration and alignment on business opportunities.

The Red Sea Development Project, the world’s most ambitious luxury tourism development—announced by the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in July 2017—leverages SAP Cloud Data Center solutions to keep the project’s progress on-track and ensure the completion of the project’s phase 1 by the year 2022. It now has the most advanced cloud services and real-time insights to integrate customer experience and operational management and ensure data security in its operations.

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Saudi Arabia has witnessed steady industrialisation attributed to the industrial sector and the support it receives from the government as the country intends to achieve its strategic and economic goals. Aside from the implementation of required infrastructure, construction of Jubail and Yanbu industrial cities as well as other industrial cities in various regions of the Kingdom, one of the essential efforts done by the government is the establishment of the Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF).

SIDF plays a critical role in the digital transformation goals of the Saudi Vision 2030, the Kingdom’s long-term aspiration that includes growing and diversifying the economy as well as developing public service sectors such as health, education, infrastructure, recreation, and tourism. With this tall order, SIDF has partnered with the ERP software leader SAP to deliver digitalisation, specifically, to the industrial sector.

By working with an SAP channel partner in Saudi Arabia, 70 legacy applications in the core business will be replaced by real-time digital dashboards, including one for customer relationship management. SIDF has gone the paperless route via the fully automated system enabling fully digital and electronic approvals.

Leveraging the Tamkeen platform, SIDF has delivered automation resulting in 60 percent less time to process loan applications and 70 percent less time for loan disbursements. Tamkeen, a semi-governmental technology-based company, provides products and solutions that boost digital transformation of Saudi Arabia.

Abdulaziz Al-Ghufaili, Vice President of Technology at SIDF stated:

“As the Kingdom’s industrial sector grows, SIDF needed to migrate 40 years’ worth of data to one digital platform to deliver the optimal financing for the Kingdom’s industries.” 

“Now, we have full and real-time visibility on our loan processes, leading to more streamlined loans and a more competitive industrial sector aligned with Saudi Vision 2030,” he added.

Aside from automating loan processes, SIDF has also deployed intelligent technologies such as integration of automatic credit check and the automatic banking interface Bank Communication Manager. Advanced Java, AngularJS, Business Intelligence/Business Objects, Json, and UI5 are now also being utilised to anticipate, meet, and exceed the needs of clients.

SIDF’s success story is the culmination of its recent Gold SAP MENA Quality Award 2019 for the Business Transformation Category.

Taha AlMadani, Head of Customer Success and Active Quality Management at SAP Middle East North commended:

“SIDF shows how financial organizations can digitally transform into Intelligent Enterprises and continue the commitment of supporting the industry to reach their full potential.” 

SIDF and Saudi Vision 2030

As the primary financial enabler of Saudi Arabia’s industrial transformation, SIDF is expected to lead the development of the local industrial sector as well as be on top of the latest developments. For the past four decades, SIDF has been empowering Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector that has built an SR184 billion ($49 billion) industrial market. Currently, the Kingdom nabs 60 percent of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) industrial market while achieving strong industrial growth with Invest Saudi amounting to SR 184 billion, growing 6 percent per year.

Along with the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NDLP) and the National Transformation Program 2020, SIDF is entrusted to drive Vision 2030 through competitiveness and sustaining strategic initiatives of the Kingdom’s industry, mining, energy, and logistics sectors.

Through NDLP, SIDF has introduced a new package of financial products and services in relation to achieving the Vision 2030’s objectives. NDLP contributes by adding SR 1.2 billion to GDP, generating jobs, improving the balance of payments, and strengthening the local content.

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