عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Business

ServiceNow CEO: Saudi Tech Boom, Innovation Drive Investment

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott takes part in the LEAP 24 global tech conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott takes part in the LEAP 24 global tech conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

ServiceNow CEO: Saudi Tech Boom, Innovation Drive Investment

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott takes part in the LEAP 24 global tech conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott takes part in the LEAP 24 global tech conference. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott has praised Saudi Arabia’s impressive innovation drive, led by its ambitious tech initiatives.

He cited Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Engineer Abdullah Alswaha’s remarks at the LEAP 24 conference, noting the Kingdom’s rapid digital growth and aspirations to become the region’s top digital market.

McDermott, speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of LEAP 24, praised the enthusiasm of 230,000 young Saudis at the conference, all dedicated to advancing the country’s digital economy.

He attributed their motivation to the supportive environment fostered by Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and his team.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, McDermott underscored the importance of such factors in ensuring success in the Kingdom.

Investing in Saudi Arabia

Explaining why ServiceNow is investing in Saudi Arabia, McDermott said the Kingdom’s booming market and tech innovation promise significant progress.

He also revealed the US-based tech company inking several deals at LEAP 24. One such deal is a partnership with the Garage project, supporting startups in Riyadh.

McDermott said his company is looking to train Saudi youth on its platform, hire graduates, and open job opportunities.

Moreover, ServiceNow is also establishing a new regional headquarters in Riyadh and plans to invest $500 million and open a data center to support the Kingdom’s growth.

He conveyed his company’s excitement to be part of Saudi Arabia’s journey.

AI revolution

McDermott sees the AI revolution as significant as the iPhone’s launch. He said his company is using AI to drive digital transformation in the tech and information industry’s largest market.

He explained that ServiceNow, a top software firm in digital workflow management, is now incorporating AI into its operations for digital transformation.

According to McDermott, companies are at a crucial moment with AI.

He revealed that ServiceNow is now working to combine cloud computing, digital transformation, and modern AI.

ServiceNow’s ambitions

McDermott highlighted ServiceNow’s presence in Saudi Arabia since 2011, noting ongoing projects and collaborations, particularly during the coronavirus pandemic, such as transforming business processes with the Ministry of Justice and bolstering employee services with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development.

He highlighted partnerships with firms like Deloitte for public sector digital transformation and teased upcoming projects.

Moreover, McDermott expressed his goal of making Saudi Arabia a global leader in the sector by prioritizing youth training, business innovation, and AI development to improve services and user experiences.

He aims to establish ServiceNow as the leading enterprise software company of the 21st century and sees Saudi Arabia as a key partner in achieving this goal, anticipating a positive embrace of innovation to boost millions of lives.

Saudi Arabia: A major player in global tech

When asked about Saudi Arabia’s role in global technology, McDermott confidently stated that the Kingdom won't just be a player; it will be a leader in global tech.

This is a crucial moment for the Kingdom, and that strong steps are needed to boost the sector, he remarked.

Many challenges exist, but with ServiceNow’s AI platform, matters can be simplified, he went on to say.

McDermott said his company is looking to streamline workflows and enhance user experiences creatively.

Noting constant improvement, he revealed that users can now talk to the system naturally and easily analyze complex data, dubbing it a big leap forward.

Tech’s new worries

When asked about concerns over new AI outsmarting humans, he stressed that while AI could surpass humans in some areas, the key is ensuring it serves humanity.

Technology’s main purpose is to improve human lives, stressed McDermott, adding that the risk is humans being controlled by tech.

Humans must be kept in charge, affirmed McDermott.

He recalled a 1966 Time magazine article predicting computers would take over most jobs, but today, there are 90 million tech jobs in the US alone.

Furthermore, he revealed that ServiceNow is working on a vast linguistic database to boost AI responses, using carefully collected data.

Great strides forward

McDermott wrapped up by lauding the impressive advancements in the Kingdom, saying that he is truly impressed by Crown Prince Mohammed’s efforts for women’s rights.

This is crucial for ServiceNow, where half of the staff will be women, he noted.

Half of ServiceNow’s leaders are already women.

McDermott stressed that his company plans to uphold this balance because this approach fosters remarkable productivity.

When workplaces promote diversity, fairness, and inclusion, it boosts success, he emphasized.

Saudi Arabia even outshines Silicon Valley in embracing this approach, said McDermott.

Offering advice to Saudi talents, McDermott said embracing the present is key.

With AI advancing rapidly, there are vast opportunities, he added.

ServiceNow provides a top platform in this field, offering job openings in the Kingdom and beyond.

Inviting Saudis to join his company, McDermott revealed that ServiceNow is partnering with the Saudi Digital Academy to train countless young people.

Most Viewed

 
 
Business

Saudi Arabia Allows Contracting Exceptions for Firms without Regional HQ

The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
TT

Saudi Arabia Allows Contracting Exceptions for Firms without Regional HQ

The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The King Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has introduced greater flexibility into its investment environment, allowing government entities, under strict controls to safeguard spending efficiency and ensure the delivery of critical projects, to seek exceptions to contract with international companies that do not have regional headquarters in the kingdom.

The Local Content and Government Procurement Authority notified all government bodies of the mechanism to apply for exemptions through the Etimad digital platform.

The step is designed to balance enforcement of the “regional headquarters relocation” decision, in force since early 2024, with the needs of technically specialized projects or those driven by intense price competition.

Under a government decision that took effect at the start of 2024, state entities, including authorities, institutions and government-affiliated funds, are barred from contracting with any foreign commercial company whose regional headquarters in the region is located outside Saudi Arabia.

According to the information, the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority informed all entities of the rules governing contracts with companies that lack a regional headquarters in the kingdom and related parties.

Government entities may request an exemption from the committee for specific projects, multiple projects or a defined time period, provided the application is submitted before launching a tender or initiating direct contracting procedures.

Submission mechanism

In two circulars, the authority detailed how to submit exemption requests and clarified the cases in which contracting is permitted under the controls. It said the exemption service was launched on the Etimad platform in November 2025.

The service is available to entities that float tenders through Etimad. Requests for tenders launched before the service went live, as well as those issued outside the platform, will continue to follow the previously adopted process.

Etimad is the kingdom’s official financial services portal run by the Ministry of Finance, aimed at driving digital transformation of government procedures and boosting transparency and efficiency in managing budgets, contracts, payments, tenders and procurement. The platform streamlines transactions between state entities and the private sector.

Technical criteria

When issuing the contracting controls, the government made clear that companies without a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, or related parties, are not barred from bidding for public tenders.

However, their offers can only be accepted in two cases: if there is no more than one technically compliant bid, or if the offer ranks among the best technically and is at least 25% lower in price than the second-best bid after overall evaluation.

Contracts with an estimated value of no more than 1 million riyals ($266,000) are also exempt. The minister may, in the public interest, amend the threshold, cancel the exemption or suspend it temporarily.

More than 700 headquarters

More than 700 multinational companies had relocated their regional headquarters to Riyadh by early 2026, exceeding the initial target of attracting 500 companies by 2030. The program seeks to cement the kingdom’s position as a regional business hub and to localize global expertise.

When announcing the contracting ban, Saudi Arabia said the move was intended to incentivize foreign firms dealing with the government and its affiliated entities to adjust their operations.

It aims to create jobs, curb economic leakage, raise spending efficiency and ensure that key goods and services procured by government entities are delivered inside the kingdom with appropriate local content.

The government said the policy aligns with the objectives of the Riyadh 2030 strategy unveiled during the recent Future Investment Initiative forum, where 24 multinational companies announced plans to move their regional headquarters to the Saudi capital.

It stressed that the decision does not affect any investor’s ability to enter the Saudi economy or continue working with the private sector.

 

Business

IMF Board to Review Staff-level $8.1 Bln Agreement for Ukraine

The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
TT
TT

IMF Board to Review Staff-level $8.1 Bln Agreement for Ukraine

The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko
The city's downtown on a frosty winter day, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine February 19, 2026. REUTERS/Alina Smutko

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said its board ​would review a staff-level agreement for a new $8.1 billion lending program for Ukraine in coming days.

IMF spokeswoman Jule Kozack told reporters that Ukrainian authorities had completed the prior actions needed to move forward with the request ⁠of a new ⁠IMF program, including submission of a draft law on the labor code and adoption of a budget.

She said Ukraine's economic growth in 2025 ⁠was likely under 2%. After four years of war, the country's economy had settled into a slower growth path with larger fiscal and current account balances, she said, noting that the IMF continues to monitor the situation closely.

"Russia's invasion continues to take a ⁠heavy ⁠toll on Ukraine's people and its economy," Kozack said. Intensified aerial attacks by Russia had damaged critical energy and logistics infrastructure, causing disruptions to economic activity, Reuters quoted her as saying.

As of January, she said, 5 million Ukrainian refugees remained in Europe and 3.7 million Ukrainians were displaced inside the country.

Business

US Stocks Fall as Iran Angst Lifts Oil Prices

A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
TT
TT

US Stocks Fall as Iran Angst Lifts Oil Prices

A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
A screen displays a stock chart at a work station on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, US, April 6, 2022. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Wall Street stocks retreated early Thursday as worries over US-Iran tensions lifted oil prices while markets digested mixed results from Walmart.

US oil futures rose to a six-month high as Iran's atomic energy chief Mohammad Eslami said no country can deprive the Islamic republic of its right to nuclear enrichment, after US President Donald Trump again hinted at military action following talks in Geneva.

"We'd call this an undercurrent of concern that is bubbling up in oil prices," Briefing.com analyst Patrick O'Hare said of the "geopolitical angst."

About 10 minutes into trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.6 percent at 49,379.46, AFP reported.

The broad-based S&P 500 fell 0.5 percent to 6,849.35, while the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index declined 0.6 percent to 22,621.38.

Among individual companies, Walmart rose 1.7 percent after reporting solid results but offering forecasts that missed analyst expectations.

Shares of the retail giant initially fell, but pushed higher after Walmart executives talked up artificial intelligence investments on a conference call with analysts.

The US trade deficit in goods expanded to a new record in 2025, government data showed, despite sweeping tariffs that Trump imposed during his first year back in the White House.