Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends in 2021 in Saudi Arabia
Like the rest of the globe, Saudi Arabia is undergoing a digital transformation. In the past, digital transformation was restricted to the realms of business and security and now all sectors and industries in Saudi Arabia and the rest of the region need it.
Undoubtedly, managing data, integrating modern technologies, and taking up with in-efficient business models are among the top digital transformation challenges that you may face in every business.
In 2019, extended reality, distributed ledgers, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing were some of the leading technologies for our organization, implemented in many businesses from ecommerce in Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Syria, Cyprus, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Israel, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, and many others.
Being one of the best digital marketing agencies in Saudi Arabia, Alareeb ICT utilized these technologies to deliver personalized customer experience with data, put people at the heart of their processes, meet their changing demands, and protect their entire ecosystem.
In 2020, we focused on digital agility in Saudi Arabia. And for the year 2021, we have evolved in a short period of time from coping with the upsurge of demand for digital transformation in a post-pandemic period to a new era that requires all sectors and industries not only in Saudi Arabia, but all over the world and encourages them to adopt digital transformation strategies to further boost business online for a global market.
Here are 10 of the top trends in digital transformation in Saudi Arabia and a look on how Alareeb ICT utilized these trends for various sectors and companies:
Top 10 Digital Transformation Trends in 2021 in Saudi Arabia
1. The Switch to 5G
Businesses have shifted to remote work for the coming years, which necessitates a reliable and strong internet connection as well as more bandwidth to support digital communication and videoconferencing.
Most individuals would agree that the pandemic has fast-tracked the process of transformation and digital disruption. We all connect today virtually and work from home. We get our medical diagnosis from home, and we learn from home; that is the sign further we will move more into a connected world.
In 2020, the e-retail market was nearly SR20.4bn, a figure that involves physical goods but not digital services such as Netflix or tickets. Today, Saudi customers purchase goods online. We have seen individuals from Saudi trust e-commerce platforms due to digital payment methods and the reliability of delivery timelines.
Besides, due to the rapidly changing situation, digital marketing innovation matters the most in the kingdom, and it is also popular for having some of the highest social media utilization in the world. To boot, 5G brings transformation in transportation and many enterprises both in Saudi Arabia and all across the Middle East and South Africa to fight against climate change and helps in driving economic value due to the growing number of mobile broadbands to digital industries.
The rise of 5G network usage in 2021 and 2022 is a digital transformation trend that guarantees faster browsing speeds, supports the development of more complicated tech products, and ensures improvements in how people work, live, and play all over the world.
2. AI & Machine Learning Adoption in Food & Beverage Industries
The food and beverage industry is the most important business among the numerous manufacturing businesses in the world because it provides the most employment opportunities. Also, the human workforce plays a crucial role in the smooth implementation of the production and helps in the packaging of food products.
However, due to the manual efforts of humans, the food industries are lacking in food safety and are failing to maintain the demand-supply chain. To avoid these issues, automation is the best solution for this industry. Though it entirely works based on the concept of AI (Artificial Intelligence), ML (Machine Learning), or DL (Deep Learning) Algorithms.
By utilizing AI-based innovation and Machine Learning, including the Internet of Things (IoT) and many other disruptive technologies, it is possible to improve operational competence. Similarly, food production and delivery processes can be effectively managed, and therefore one can minimize waste while enhancing profits for food and beverage (F&B) companies.
Moreover, autonomous systems or AI-based systems should be extensively applied in almost every portion of the technology as it allows the globe to efficiently optimize the issues, focus on quality products, computerize the food industry, and ensure the safe distribution of these products. Similarly, the industry can evaluate the most favorable conditions, such as crop monitoring, seed selection, temperature monitoring, and watering, and other processes can be improved, resulting in high-quality food items. Such techniques meet customers’ requirements and help you deliver quality-made products on time to enhance the economy of the business in an exponential manner.
Besides, automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) can even apply in financial services, other than the food and beverage industry. During the pandemic, AI became the next-generation technology for the financial service industry because this technology, including Machine Learning, has the capability to help banks and other financial institutions address their customer queries faster and automate their services quickly.
As per the study of Verloop.io, Conversational AI engages more customers and gives self-service to boost customer satisfaction. Insurance companies and banks predict an 86 % increase in AI (Artificial Intelligence) investments by 2025, the data revealed by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
How Alareeb ICT adopted this trend this year: A case study on Lorry Logistics Broker
Lorry, a truck logistics broker, hired Alareeb ICT experts to build its web application and mobile application. Based on their requirements, Alareeb ICT offered them user-friendly, fully-functional, very secure, feature-packed, digitally transformative, and high-performing web experiences to grow their business and meet their unique requirements.
Interesting Read: How to do Digital Transformation with Alareeb ICT’s Digital Marketing Services.
3. Digital-First Customer Service
Providing customers with digital-first service is one of trends in 2021 because the rise of ecommerce increases customer expectations, which means they want to have a seamless and smooth shopping experience whenever they purchase anything from you. Accordingly, it is important to understand what customer experience is and how it can impact your business.
Whether your business flourishes and exists, this entirely depends on your customers because they are something that hits your bottom line.
How to do Digital Transformation that Improves Customer Experience
Select the Right Technology
There are various platforms, vendors, and solutions that can assist you in fulfilling your digital transformation goals. Yet, what’s the problem? Understanding customer needs is one of the biggest digital transformation challenges that you must address with the right technology. At Alareeb ICT, we utilize digital technologies in all areas of your business as they allow you to make efficient changes in your business operations and save your time and money.
Define Your Vision
Before helping you take maximum benefits of digital marketing innovation and move to digital transformation, we may ask the following questions:
- Where do you want to take your business?
- What are your specific goals and requirements?
- What technologies do you wish to support your employees?
- What challenges does your team experience when engaging in the everyday business process?
Based on these queries, we will help you know your actual customers and help you build a robust digital transformation strategy to support real-time feedback that you can take from your customers through online communities or other ways. Also, we can help you develop a quality framework to train all your workers so that they can easily give your customers the best shopping/product experience at all times.
Focus on Culture
If you are searching for a digital marketing agency in Saudi Arabia to overcome your digital transformation challenges, you can consult with the specialists at Alareeb ICT and build a successful strategy to ensure that culture will support your digital innovation.
Moreover, you can take the assistance of our industry’s leaders to focus on your transformation planning and execution as your digital transition requires expertise and the right resources to keep your organization on track and confirm whatever strategy you will create to build your product will help you become successful in the competitive market.
4. Automation 360 to Unlock Success
In the post-covid era, businesses need infrastructure and workers to experiment and react quickly. Due to this, it becomes vital to consider Automation Anywhere as a global leader in RPA (Robotic Process Automation), supports customers to automate their end-to-end business processes with intelligent software bots like AI (Artificial Intelligence) as it helps in reducing manual tasks and allows us to focus more on the company’s productivity.
In the past two years, automation has progressed from the use of RPA (Robotic Process Automation） and Infra as Code to Hyper Automation. This technology uses advanced technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, Robotic Process Automation, and Machine Learning to automate processes that were carried out by the human workforce.
With Automation 360, you can easily raise the score of customer satisfaction and efficiently address the most complex customer queries. Automation 360 is a single and integrated platform that Alareeb ICT uses in Saudi Arabia to automate your business operations across all systems and applications, including legacy and SaaS apps, bridging the gap between the front and back office technological silos.
By 2030, we expect to introduce automation as a strategy across industries like energy, manufacturing, mining, including logistic sectors, and integrate technologies like artificial intelligence, RPA (Robotic Process Automation), analytics in one platform to help you free up your resources from routine tasks and ensure high-quality standards to achieve your goals.
5. Online Learning and Digital Payments
Cashless transactions, online learning, and online payments have seen a rise this year and this is seen to last for a long time and not only become a trend, but a necessity that is here to stay.
Being a top-notch digital marketing agency in Saudi Arabia, we have already outperformed in FinTech industries and exceeded our clients’ expectations with cashless transactions. Investing in the digital future is our topmost priority to help you succeed in your fintech business.
Our motto is to bring digital transformation in the EdTech sector and encourage people to use Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Classroom, and other learning platforms/spaces as it is one of the great methods for learning and helping students and teachers interact through remote access.
COVID-19 was unpredictable, but one thing that is clear at Alareeb ICT, we will use several digital transformation trends in 2021 and the latest digital marketing innovation ideas, tools, and technologies to help you achieve success three times faster in your business.
6. Better Cyber Security Through Cloud-Based Networks
Remote working during the pandemic has increased cybersecurity risks. As a result, enterprises in Saudi Arabia have built their cybersecurity portfolio by expanding their cloud-based networks and services that workers are accessing virtually.
IDC Saudi Arabia projects that less implemented mechanisms such as UTM (Unified Threat Management), IAM (Identity and Access Management), Data Security Software, and Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP), as well as Web Content Inspection will gain popularity in the upcoming years, along with the focus will be given on endpoint security applications and conventional networks.
7. Drones in Oil & Gas Sector
Digital technologies are assisting almost every business niche. At this point, how can the oil and gas industry stay behind?
One of the biggest benefits of going digital in the oil and gas sector is safer operations, increased productivity, and cost savings. For the past years, the oil and gas sector in Saudi Arabiahas played a critical role in the economic development of the world.
By using drones in critical infrastructures in the oil and gas sector, the industry can conduct faster inspections and enhance their workers’ safety by reducing the use of cranes, scaffolding, or helicopters.
Furthermore, drones are mostly utilized for remote monitoring and surveillance. Tankers and trucks, infrastructure, equipment, and other assets that one can include in the oil and gas industry as drones offer a 360-degree view of field operations for monitoring. They can also monitor the progress of under-construction facilities and provide encroachment detection. Oil and gas businesses can also inspect unmanned production sites via remote monitoring when using drones.
Some of the common benefits of using drones in the oil and gas industry are as follows:
- Better inspection information – Use visible light and infrared sensors to spot issues when chimneys and flare stacks are operating.
- Reduce facility downtime – Maintain production objectives by avoiding equipment use for regular facility inspections.
8. 3D Printing in Manufacturing Sector
3D printing in the manufacturing sector is another one of the critical trends that Alareeb ICT has utilized in 2021, which has helped many Saudi manufacturers place their data at the center of all processes. We also concentrate on their business vision and restructure their operations to boost agility, speed, efficiency, and innovation.
Some of the top reasons why 3D printing is one of the top digital transformation trends for the manufacturing sector in Saudi Arabia are below:
- Flexible Design: Traditional manufacturing processes don’t allow the creation and printing of more complex designs. However, 3D Printing does and ensures 100% flexibility in the designing part.
- Quick prototyping – 3D printing takes a few hours to manufacture parts and overall boosts the prototyping process. In comparison to machine prototyping, 3D printing is cost-effective and allows the completion and modification of each stage at a much more efficient rate.
- On-demand printing: On-demand printing is another benefit that you can obtain with 3D printing as all the 3D design files are stored in a virtual library, which means it allows you to locate the file and print when needed. There is no additional cost or very least cost required to edit the individual files.
- Easy product testing: In case of any errors, you can easily test the physical prototype and modify your CAD file, plus take a print out of the modified or new version by the next day.
- Quality: Conventional production methods can lead to poor quality designs. However, 3D printing enables step-by-step assembly of a part or product, resulting in improved design and higher-quality parts/products.
- All in all, speed, cost, and flexibility are the main advantages that you acquire with 3D printing and apply this new digital transformation trend to achieve success in your manufacturing sector.
9. Digital/Online Scheduling for Healthcare Practices
In 2019, the Ministry of Health had served more than 200,00 pilgrims in the Holy Sites during Hajj Season and helped sufferers connect online with doctors of Riyadh and Jeddah. This showed that online/ digital scheduling was already on its way in becoming one of the trends that we see to be mostly utilized, especially during the onset of the pandemic in 2020.
At Alareebict, we promise to offer the best possible benefits to healthcare industries with digital transformation. We are planning to apply digital/ online scheduling soon for our clients in the healthcare industry in Saudi Arabia. We plan to develop a software that allows patients to request or book appointments with their needed physicians with a few simple clicks from their internet-connected devices.
Some of the advantages of online scheduling are secure data, seamless doctor-patient coordination, access to real-time health information, 24/7 availability, more effective information management, cashless payments, and increased opportunities for e-marketing.
10. Intelligent Experience
Intelligent experience encompasses customer experience, workplace experience, employee experience, user experience, emotional experience, multi-experiences, and digital experience.
Alareeb ICT has adopted intelligent experience and has used a few technologies such as blockchain and virtual reality in 2021, which allowed for the development of new business models, supply chain resilience, re-imagined telemedicine, B2B data sharing, healthcare scenarios, remote monitoring, training, learning, and after-sales support scenarios.
2021 and 2022 are all about resilience and addressing obstacles caused by the pandemic. The major focus will be given to the sustainability of your business and its stakeholders. In 2022, Alareeb ICT will focus more on business operations, business models, and security to shape your business with digital transformation.
How Alareeb ICT adopted this trend for an auto dealer in China:
A leading auto dealer chose Alareeb ICT for their MG and FAW brands based in China. Alareeb ICT helped this auto leader capture business opportunities in the auto market, which is known to be very challenging and competitive. The team at Alareeb ICT was able to do this by streamlining their back-end processes in core areas in sales, which in turn, maximized their revenue, and took their organization to the next level.
Do you want to stay updated with the latest digital marketing trends in the coming year? Or are you planning to adopt a solid digital transformation plan for your firm? Alareeb ICT can be the right partner for you. Click on the link below to book a time to discuss with one of our experts.
