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Global Software Giant SAP Doubles Growth After Moving Regional Headquarters to Riyadh 

Muhammad Alam speaks to the audience during SAP’s announcement of the deployment of its new suite of solutions from Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Muhammad Alam speaks to the audience during SAP’s announcement of the deployment of its new suite of solutions from Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Global Software Giant SAP Doubles Growth After Moving Regional Headquarters to Riyadh 

Muhammad Alam speaks to the audience during SAP’s announcement of the deployment of its new suite of solutions from Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Muhammad Alam speaks to the audience during SAP’s announcement of the deployment of its new suite of solutions from Saudi Arabia. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Muhammad Alam, Executive Board Member and Head of Products and Engineering at SAP SE, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the global software giant was among the first international companies to relocate its regional headquarters to Riyadh two years ago, a move that has since fueled “a doubling of business growth and significantly boosted client confidence in the Kingdom.”

Alam explained that Saudi Arabia’s status as one of the region’s largest economies made it a natural choice for SAP’s regional base. The decision aligns with government directives encouraging multinational firms to establish regional hubs in Riyadh as part of Saudi Vision 2030.

The statement coincided with SAP’s announcement of plans to deploy the full suite of its SAP Business Network solutions for the Saudi public sector, hosted entirely on Google Cloud. This development makes the Kingdom the first country in the world to host SAP’s complete network solution package within a sovereign cloud environment.

According to Alam, Saudi Arabia was chosen to host the SAP Business Network for the public sector due to the country’s high demand for advanced digital solutions.

“This initiative supports local industries by ensuring the technology operates in line with national regulations and data standards,” he said.

He emphasized that Vision 2030’s focus on developing local content and empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was central to the decision. The presence of SAP’s business network in the Kingdom, he explained, will enable SMEs to participate in both domestic and international e-commerce, connecting them directly to a global trading platform.

“SMEs are a cornerstone of Vision 2030,” Alam said, adding: “Their integration into a worldwide network will expand their reach and strengthen the national economy.”

He stressed that as Saudi Arabia accelerates its shift toward a diversified, non-oil economy, the local hosting of SAP’s solutions will attract international suppliers, enhance trade efficiency, and help achieve the Kingdom’s economic targets.

Alam noted that Saudi Arabia is now setting a “global benchmark for sovereign digital transformation.” Hosting SAP’s complete public-sector suite locally, he said, represents a major technological milestone, which would empower government institutions with advanced tools to drive digital leadership and operational excellence.

“Our goal is to help clients strengthen procurement and operations while ensuring full compliance with national standards,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The deployment marks an early success in SAP’s broader global strategy to unify data within regulated markets. A parallel private-sector version of the network, offering the same local data hosting and Arabic language support, is scheduled for launch in the first quarter of 2026.

Among early adopters, Saudi Awwal Bank has already migrated 40 percent of its procurement operations to the SAP Business Network, achieving significant gains in efficiency and transparency.

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Business

Morocco Targets $10 Billion AI Contribution to GDP by 2030

People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
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Morocco Targets $10 Billion AI Contribution to GDP by 2030

People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)
People wave Morocco's flag in the old town of Rabat, on January 9, 2026 prior the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) quarter-final football match Morocco v Cameroon. (AFP)

Morocco is targeting a 100 billion dirhams ($10 billion) boost to its gross domestic product from artificial intelligence by 2030, the minister in charge of digital transition said on Monday, as the country steps up its investment in training programs, sovereign data centers and cloud services.

Morocco, whose current GDP comes to around $170 billion, plans to invest in artificial intelligence centers linked ‌to universities and ‌the private sector, and ‌to ⁠integrate AI solutions ‌into public administration and industry, Minister Amal El Fallah Seghrouchni told a conference in Rabat.

The GDP boost would largely come from expanding domestic data-processing capacity through sovereign data centers, scaling up cloud and fiber-optic infrastructure, and building an AI-skilled workforce ⁠to support the deployment of AI solutions across industry ‌and government, she said.

Under the ‍plan, Morocco expects ‍to create 50,000 AI-related jobs and train ‍200,000 graduates in AI skills by 2030.

As part of that effort, Seghrouchni on Monday signed a partnership agreement with France's Mistral AI to support the development of generative AI tools in Morocco.

"We want to turn Morocco into ⁠a future excellence hub in AI and data science," Seghrouchni said.

The government is also preparing legislation governing artificial intelligence, according to the minister.

Morocco has earmarked 11 billion dirhams ($1.2 billion) for its digital transformation strategy for 2024–2026, covering AI initiatives and the expansion of fiber-optic infrastructure. It is separately planning a 500-megawatt, renewable energy-powered data center in the southern city of Dakhla ‌to boost the security and sovereignty of national data storage.

Business

Saudi Arabia Consolidates Its Position Among the World’s Top 20 Economies in 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
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Saudi Arabia Consolidates Its Position Among the World’s Top 20 Economies in 2026

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Reuters) 

As the global financial landscape is reshaped by accelerating geopolitical shifts, economic data show that Saudi Arabia has firmly consolidated its place among the world’s 20 largest economies in 2026.

This standing reflects the success of Vision 2030 in diversifying income sources and expanding gross domestic product. The Kingdom ranks 19th globally, outperforming several long-established economies, with GDP projected at $1.316 trillion.

According to data based on International Monetary Fund reports released in October 2025, the global economy is expected to reach $123.6 trillion in 2026. Economic power remains highly concentrated, with the world’s five largest economies accounting for more than 55 percent of total global output:

United States: Continues to lead with GDP of $31.8 trillion, supported by a resilient labor market and sustained consumer spending, with real growth projected at 2.1 percent.

China: Ranks second with an estimated GDP of $20.7 trillion, despite demographic challenges and its transition toward advanced manufacturing.

Germany: Retains Europe’s top position in third place with GDP of $5.3 trillion, despite pressure from high energy costs.

India: The “rising star,” securing fourth place globally with GDP of $4.5 trillion and posting the fastest growth among major economies at 6.2 percent.

Japan: Slips to fifth place with GDP of $4.4 trillion, facing demographic headwinds despite strengths in robotics and automotive industries.

Linked to recent IMF assessments, Saudi Arabia stands out as a key pillar in what experts describe as a new “economic geography.” While many emerging markets have struggled with interest-rate volatility and inflation distortions in advanced economies - particularly the United States - the Kingdom has demonstrated a strong ability to absorb external shocks.

The IMF views Saudi Arabia’s large-scale investments in high-potential sectors not merely as a driver of domestic growth, but as part of a broader global shift in capital flows toward destinations offering stability and long-term attractiveness.

The data also underscore the strong performance of other economies on the list. Brazil ranks 11th with GDP exceeding $2.2 trillion, while Türkiye and Indonesia continue to compete closely in 16th and 17th place, respectively.

 

 

Business

Saudi Industrial Production Index Records Highest Growth Since Early 2023

A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
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Saudi Industrial Production Index Records Highest Growth Since Early 2023

A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)
A facility operated by the Saudi International Petrochemical Company (Sipchem). (Sipchem)

Saudi Arabia’s Industrial Production Index posted a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent in November 2025, compared with the same month a year earlier, marking its highest growth rate since the beginning of 2023, according to preliminary data. On a monthly basis, however, the index declined by 0.7 percent.

Data released by the General Authority for Statistics on Sunday showed that the index for oil-related activities rose by 12.9 percent year on year in November, while the index for non-oil activities increased by 4.4 percent compared with the same month of the previous year.

Month on month, the index for oil activities recorded a rise of 0.5 percent, while the non-oil activities index fell by 3.4 percent compared with October 2025.

In November, the sub-index for mining and quarrying activities climbed 12.6 percent year on year, driven by higher oil production during the month. Saudi oil output rose to 10.1 million barrels per day, compared with 8.9 million barrels per day in November last year.

On a monthly basis, the mining and quarrying sub-index also increased by 0.5 percent.

The manufacturing sub-index recorded an annual rise of 8.1 percent, supported by a 14.5 percent increase in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products, as well as a 10.9 percent rise in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

In monthly terms, preliminary results showed the manufacturing sub-index edged up by 0.3 percent, buoyed by a 0.3 percent increase in the manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products and a 1.0 percent rise in the manufacture of chemicals and chemical products.

As for other activities, the sub-index for electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply fell by 4.3 percent year on year. In contrast, the sub-index for water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities rose by 10.2 percent compared with November last year.

Compared with October 2025, the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply sub-index dropped sharply by 28.6 percent, while the water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities sub-index declined by 3.1 percent.