KPMG and Microsoft co-launch KSA Center for Emerging Technologies

Building on their global multi-year technology alliance, KPMG and Microsoft have launched a dedicated Center for Emerging Technologies in Saudi Arabia.

The new Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) will serve as a nation-wide initiative aimed at helping organizations in the Kingdom better understand the implications and opportunities that emerging technologies bring. The center will also guide organizations in bringing technologies to life, including the development of prototyping and use cases.

“The CET partners with organizations – irrespective of their size or the sector they operate in – to help them learn about, assess, and properly adopt some of these technologies,” said Khalil Ibrahim Al Sedais, Regional Managing Partner for Riyadh at KPMG.

While the center will focus on the full breadth of emerging technologies, much of the attention will go to game-changing technologies such as artificial intelligence, Web 3.0, cloud, and quantum computing. A report released earlier this year by KPMG found that companies in Saudi Arabia are relatively keen on exploring and adopting these and other emerging technologies.

“The centre will collaborate with key industry figures within and beyond Saudi Arabia to gather insights on the best-fit technology innovation waves,” Al Sedais said.

For Microsoft, the launch of the new center marks an expansion of its longstanding alliance with KPMG. The two companies have been working together at the global level for almost two decades, and in July this year, KPMG committing a multibillion-dollar investment in Microsoft cloud and artificial intelligence services over the next five years.

Turki Badhris, President of Microsoft in Arabia, said: “Our alliance with KPMG on the Center for Emerging Technologies is a vital part of our commitment to empower organizations in the Kingdom in their business transformation and technology adoption journeys.”

“By combining our cutting-edge technologies and global partner network with KPMG’s deep industry knowledge and expertise, the CET will deliver high value interventions to businesses across sectors, helping them to accelerate growth through innovation and drive digital transformation efforts across Saudi Arabia.”