Experts and delegates at SAP NOW AI Tour in Dubai explore impact and potential of AI
As AI adoption accelerates across the UAE, business leaders are banking on its potential to drive long-term growth. A new YouGov survey commissioned by SAP reveals that 94% of enterprises in the country believe AI will be a key driver of business expansion, with nearly half (49%) expecting significant returns on AI investments within the next one to two years.
This optimism was on full display at the SAP NOW AI Tour held in the UAE today, where more than 1,500 industry experts, public sector leaders, and business executives gathered at the Dubai Expo Center to explore AI’s transformative potential across industries.
“AI is already delivering tangible business value, and the UAE market is clearly ready to embrace its potential,” affirmed Marwan Zeineddine, Managing Director, SAP UAE. “The SAP survey shows that businesses recognize AI as a key driver of growth, but unlocking its full value requires the right strategies,” he added.
Momentum
The SAP survey findings reflect this momentum, with 97% of the UAE IT decision-makers surveyed expressing confidence in using AI-driven insights to guide critical business decisions, and with 72% describing themselves as ‘very confident’ in doing so.
SAP also showcased its collaboration with Databricks through the SAP Business Data Cloud, highlighting how organizations can eliminate data silos and extract deeper insights from structured and unstructured data.
This focus on data was of particular interest to businesses that are increasingly looking to use industry-specific AI solutions, with 76% of enterprises in the UAE using AI-driven solutions that have been tailored specifically for their industry, according to the SAP survey.
Sharing customer AI successes
The SAP AI Tour also saw several signing ceremonies and deployment announcements, including innovative implementations at Al-Futtaim and Al Ghurair Iron & Steel (AGIS) that demonstrate how AI can revolutionize business processes.
“By deploying RISE with SAP Private Cloud edition alongside a tailored SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) solution, we’ve harnessed the power of AI to automate over 400 calculations, cutting operator time from 20 minutes to just three,” noted BS Shetty, General Manager, AGIS.
“Whether it’s helping managers make faster talent decisions or guiding employees through everyday HR tasks with natural, conversational support, SAP’s Joule is transforming how our people engage with HR — intuitively, intelligently, and at their convenience,” asserted Shrivastava.
