Even before the current pandemic, two of Middle East’s largest economies, Saudi Arabia and the UAE had raced towards leveraging the power of digital technologies to drive socio economic growth. Comprehensive national programs like the UAE Vision 2021 and Saudi Vision 2030 that outlined the key tenets of a new knowledge based economy were launched wherein data led decision making was prioritized, and new avenues of growth were being explored using emerging technologies including AI, IoT, Blockchain etc. In this conversation, we will look at deciphering some key aspects of this digital revolution in the UAE and Saudi Arabia; what this means for different stakeholders, some key prevailing digital trends in these markets, the role of data, and what does the future look like.
