New Riverbed survey reveals Kingdom’s rapid progress toward AI readiness and unified observability ahead of GITEX GLOBAL 2025
Saudi organisations are demonstrating unprecedented confidence in artificial intelligence, with overall AI investments soaring by 160% year-on-year, according to a new study by Riverbed, the global leader in AIOps for observability. Released ahead of GITEX GLOBAL 2025, the report titled The Future of IT Operations in the AI Era positions the Kingdom among the world’s most advanced AI markets.
The study found that 26% of Saudi enterprises invested over US$50 million in AI initiatives last year, compared to an average of 18% globally. Nearly 36% are already fully prepared to execute their AI strategies, while 78% expect to achieve full readiness within three years, aligning with the country’s Vision 2030 goals. Over half of the respondents reported that returns from AIOps projects have exceeded expectations, signalling a clear shift from experimentation to execution.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the most exciting AI markets in the world right now, with bold government-led initiatives and record levels of investment setting the stage for rapid transformation,” said
Moueen Zahreddine, Senior Regional Director – GCC, Riverbed.
A key driver of this success is the Kingdom’s strong data and cloud infrastructure. Around 63% of organisations are actively developing enterprise-wide data strategies, leveraging hyperscaler-backed cloud ecosystems from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Oracle. The move toward edge processing is also accelerating, enabling faster, more intelligent business operations.
The report underscores a growing trend toward tool consolidation, with 98% of Saudi companies reducing the number of observability tools to simplify IT management. Moreover, OpenTelemetry adoption is gaining traction—39% have mandated it, and another 54% plan to follow suit within two years.
Zahreddine added, “At Riverbed, we’re helping customers implement practical AI solutions that enhance digital experiences, improve IT operations, and realise the full potential of AI.”
As Saudi Arabia advances its digital transformation agenda, it continues to set a global benchmark in integrating AI, data, and observability to power a high-performance future.
