BrazilSaudi organizations using AI to drive customer experience improvements
Organizations in Saudi Arabia have over the past two years improved the experience they offer their customers, with artificial intelligence (AI) playing an important role in realizing advancements.
Now in its third edition, the ‘Saudi Customer Experience Excellence’ report assessed 96 leading brands across ten sectors, rating the quality of their customer experiences based on KPMG’s own proprietary model. That model looks at six key factors that underpin customer excellence: personalization, integrity, time and effort, expectations, empathy, and resolution.
The findings show that businesses which have embraced AI to reimagine their customer experiences are seeing measurable gains in loyalty, satisfaction, and advocacy. Leading the sector rankings is Financial Services, which not only topped the list in 2024 with a score of 8.30, but also showed one of the largest year-on-year improvements, up from 7.94 in 2022.
Non-Grocery Retail follows with a score of 8.16, improving from 8.05 previously, benefitting from streamlined shopping experiences and tailored promotions. Restaurants and Fast Food come in third with a score of 8.09, climbing from fifth place in 2022, driven by successful investments in digital ordering, delivery, and service efficiency.
The Automotive sector achieved a score of 7.98, building on the industry’s focus on personalization through virtual showrooms, online consultations, and AI-driven service touchpoints.
At the lower end of the rankings sit Logistics and Entertainment & Leisure, scoring 7.71 and 7.80 respectively – both down slightly from 2022 – highlighting persistent challenges in addressing personalization, empathy, and resolution, which are increasingly vital in today’s experience economy.
Winning the consumer battle
Based on responses from more than 1,500 Saudi consumers evaluating, the research found that integrity and expectations are the strongest drivers of both loyalty and advocacy in the Saudi market, underscoring the importance of delivering on promises, building trust, and aligning values between brand and customer.
At the same time, the KPMG report highlights a clear shift towards data-driven, personalized customer journeys and the growing importance of trust and speed in consumer interactions.
“Customer experience is the new battleground for competitive advantage. As Saudi Arabia continues its rapid transformation, organizations that integrate AI with empathy, integrity, and purpose will lead the way,” said Adib Kilzie, Head of Customer Experience and Alliances at KPMG in Saudi Arabia.
“This year’s report shows that success in customer experience is no longer about simply responding to needs – it’s about anticipating them, personalizing the journey, and delivering with speed, transparency, and care,” he continued.
Looking ahead, Kilzie said that next-generation AI systems and AI agents are expected to revolutionize customer engagement. With advances in natural language processing, explainable AI, and predictive analytics, businesses will soon be able to offer even more seamless, intuitive, and emotionally aware experiences.
“However, businesses are cautioned to ensure that AI adoption is strategic, ethical, and designed around real human needs. Mapping customer journeys, understanding value streams, and applying AI where it can deliver the most tangible benefit will be critical to success,” Kilzie concluded.
