BrazilIBM inaugurates regional Saudi headquarters in Riyadh
Global technology and cloud giant IBM has inaugurated its regional headquarters in Riyadh, as part of its mission to accelerate digital transformation in Saudi Arabia’s business landscape and society.
Having received a formal nod to establish its regional headquarters last year, IBM and the Ministry of Investment have now formally celebrated the milestone at a joint signing ceremony.
The deal was ratified by IBM’s top leader, Arvind Krishna (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer), and Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Investment, at an event that was attended by a range of top officials and business leaders.
Krishna said that the investment in Saudi Arabia reinforces the firm’s longstanding commitment to the Kingdom. IBM first established its presence in Saudi Arabia in 1947, and has since worked on hundreds of projects in the government and private sectors.
In recent years, IBM has worked with government, businesses and partners to help enhance the Kingdom’s tech landscape, including the local digital infrastructure, tech ecosystem and Saudi talent.
“IBM is helping clients in Saudi Arabia reshape their business models and leverage emerging technologies to increase productivity and drive innovation,” said Krishna. “Establishing a regional headquarters in Riyadh will extend IBM’s footprint in the Kingdom and the wider region, with the goal of spurring more transformation and innovation.”
Krishna emphasized how the regional headquarters will help IBM spearhead the delivery of cutting-edge technological solutions such as hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence, and advanced analytics. “These transformative technologies are instrumental in solving the most pressing challenges.”
A subsidiary of IBM, the firm’s advisory business IBM Consulting will meanwhile provide counsel around strategic and digital transformations, including the implementation of IBM (and other) technologies.
Al-Falih stated: “IBM’s decision to establish their regional headquarters in Riyadh is testament to Saudi Arabia’s success in developing a conducive business environment and ecosystem that complements our world-class ICT infrastructure.”
IBM joins a growing number of large consulting firms that have established their regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, keen on tapping into the huge potential of the Saudi market in the coming years.
