KPMG brings its global Oracle partnership to Saudi Arabia

KPMG and Oracle have brought their global partnership to the Saudi market – to help businesses leverage the power of cloud and explore emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, internet of things and machine learning. 

At the global stage, KPMG and cloud technology company Oracle have been collaborating for nearly three decades. More than 3,000 KPMG professionals worldwide hold Oracle expertise, and the Big Four accounting and advisory firm is an Oracle Cloud Elite partner – the highest distinction for an Oracle consultancy and implementation partner.

In the Middle East, the KPMG-Oracle partnership has so far been limited to the former’s Lower Gulf practice – serving clients across the UAE. Now, the pair have brought their partnership to Saudi Arabia – where cloud technology is climbing up the agenda in a rapidly digitalising business environment. 

A KPMG survey from earlier this year revealed that more cloud spending is on the cards for a staggering 98% of Saudi businesses – largely driven by the pandemic and its repercussions on business and consumer behaviour. The new partnership is a way of capitalising on this momentum – as explained by KPMG Saudi Arabia chairman Abdullah Al-Fozan, who signed in the new deal.

“This is the right time to invest more in the digital ecosystem and forge relationships to be stronger and more efficient together. This partnership will encourage innovation and attract more international investment into Saudi Arabia, thus being a catalyst for job creation.” 

KPMG’s Insights Centre and Oracle’s Innovation Hub in Riyadh will combine to help private and public sector organisations explore the applications of cloud in emerging technologies such as AI, IoT and others. 

According to Oracle Saudi Arabia vice president and country head Fahad Al-Turief, advanced tech is key to building the resilience required in the new normal. “For most organisations, the current way of doing business might not deliver the agility to grow or provide the platform or flexibility to compete.” 

“The adoption of emerging technology was already on the rise in Saudi Arabia as organisations realised that they could achieve a higher return on investment, explore new avenues of growth, drive innovation, deliver new services, save costs and ensure robust cybersecurity with cloud,” added Al-Turief, who was the Oracle signatory to the new agreement.

According to a study by McKinsey & Company, corporates can unlock trillion’s of dollars globally through cloud-based working.