Omnix International CEO Walid Gomaa explains how strategy not technology will define the region’s next wave of digital transformation.
Across the GCC, a rare alignment is taking place. National agendas, technological maturity, and ambitious development projects are converging in a way that positions the region for a major leap forward in digital transformation. According to Walid Gomaa, CEO of Omnix International, this confluence makes now the ideal moment to launch Digital Twin consulting services capabilities that regional companies increasingly need but often struggle to implement effectively.
For Gomaa, the opportunity is shaped partly by policy direction. Long-term national strategies like the UAE Centennial 2071 and Saudi Vision 2030 emphasize sustainability, operational efficiency, and infrastructure modernization. These goals push organizations to adopt advanced technologies capable of improving asset visibility, enabling simulation, and strengthening resilience. At the same time, GCC mega-projects whether in Saudi Arabia’s new giga cities or the UAE’s expanding urban ecosystems have reached levels of complexity that demand data-driven, predictive approaches. Traditional asset management models simply cannot keep pace.
Digital Twins offer a powerful solution, but Gomaa cautions that many organizations treat them primarily as technology experiments. This mindset is exactly what Omnix intends to change. The company’s consulting practice is designed to ensure Digital Twin initiatives are rooted in business strategy, aligned with measurable outcomes, and built for long-term transformation rather than short-term novelty.
“Digital Twins only create value when they’re anchored to strategy not the other way around.”
Walid Gomaa, CEO, Omnix International
Why Digital Twin Pilots Stall Before They Scale
Across industries, Digital Twin pilots often begin with great enthusiasm but fail to expand beyond limited test cases. Gomaa identifies the core reason: organizations typically start with the technology rather than the business objective. Without clear links to corporate KPIs, operational priorities, or executive sponsorship, even successful pilots struggle to justify full-scale rollout.
Another stumbling block is the lack of stakeholder alignment. Because Digital Twins cut across IT, operations, engineering, and leadership, the absence of early, cross-functional collaboration can confine pilots to departmental use. Data readiness is an equally critical issue. Many companies underestimate the complexity of integrating and standardizing data across their systems. When the data foundation is weak, the twin’s insights become unreliable, undermining adoption and trust.
Scaling, Gomaa stresses, requires more than technical deployment it requires executive backing, a structured roadmap, and well-defined value milestones. Without these elements, Digital Twin initiatives remain stuck in a perpetual proof-of-concept phase.
Strategy First: The Real Differentiator
A strategy-led approach transforms Digital Twin outcomes by establishing clarity around the fundamental question: Why are we doing this? Once an enterprise defines its objectives, it can prioritize use cases with genuine business value and align them with its overarching KPIs. This shift in mindset produces more realistic implementation plans by assessing the organization’s maturity across people, processes, and data.
When deployed with strategic intent, Digital Twins evolve from isolated tools into catalysts for enterprise transformation. Adoption rises, ROI strengthens, and the risk of fragmented implementation diminishes. Gomaa compares this to engineering design: investing more time in planning significantly increases the likelihood of long-term success.
Sectors Leading the Charge in the GCC
The industries most prepared to adopt Digital Twins at scale are those managing complex, asset-intensive environments. Energy and utilities stand at the forefront, leveraging Digital Twins for predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and enhanced safety protocols. Infrastructure and transportation authorities are also integrating Digital Twins for real-time monitoring, lifecycle management, and risk reduction.
The built environment—particularly large real estate and urban development programs is another major growth area. Manufacturing is experiencing strong momentum as well, using Digital Twins to optimize production, improve quality, and reduce operational downtime. Even healthcare, though early in its journey, is beginning to use Digital Twins to manage facilities and improve operational performance. Wherever assets are critical and operations are complex, Digital Twins offer transformative potential.
How Omnix Stands Apart
While technology partners play a crucial role in deploying Digital Twin platforms, Gomaa emphasizes that Omnix differentiates itself by focusing on the why and where before addressing the how. The company supports clients through the full lifecycle strategy development, use-case prioritization, implementation oversight, and capability building.
This holistic model aligns Digital Twin programs with transformation priorities, operational KPIs, and sustainability metrics. It ensures that technology investments serve long-term enterprise goals rather than creating isolated pockets of digital experimentation.
What CIOs Can Expect From a Mature Digital Twin Program
For CIOs, the value proposition of Digital Twins is both immediate and cumulative. One early benefit is the establishment of a unified, reliable single source of truth integrating data that previously lived in operational silos. Over time, predictive analytics reduce unplanned downtime, optimize maintenance cycles, and streamline workflows across engineering, IT, and operations teams.
Digital Twin programs also force improvements in organizational data quality, governance, and cybersecurity, strengthening the enterprise’s overall digital foundation. These advances, Gomaa notes, accelerate innovation and improve scalability across future digital initiatives.
A New Force for Sustainability and ESG Transparency
Digital Twins have become powerful enablers of sustainability strategies. By monitoring assets in real time, organizations can optimize energy use, reduce emissions, and manage resources more efficiently. Simulation capabilities allow teams to test sustainability initiatives virtually reducing risk and cost before physical implementation.
For ESG reporting, Digital Twins introduce unprecedented transparency. They track environmental metrics across facilities and processes, providing accurate, auditable data aligned with regulatory frameworks and stakeholder expectations. Beyond compliance, they reveal opportunities to reduce waste, optimize energy consumption, and extend asset lifecycles.
National Agendas as Catalysts for Adoption
GCC governments are investing heavily in smart infrastructure, digital economies, and sustainable urban development. These national agendas act as accelerators for Digital Twin adoption by creating regulatory frameworks, funding projects, and promoting public–private collaboration. As transformation initiatives evolve, Digital Twins are becoming central enablers for achieving long-term economic diversification and infrastructure resilience.
Building Internal Capability: The Key to Longevity
Gomaa stresses that sustainable Digital Twin programs require internal ownership not reliance on external vendors. Organizations must invest in upskilling to build expertise across engineering, operations, and data disciplines. Clear governance structures should define responsibilities for data management, model updates, and ongoing use-case evolution. Most importantly, Digital Twins must be integrated into daily operational routines. When they become essential decision-making tools, they continue to evolve and deliver value over time.
The Next 36 Months: From Pilots to Connected Ecosystems
Looking ahead, Gomaa predicts that Digital Twins in the GCC will evolve rapidly from isolated pilots to enterprise-wide, interconnected ecosystems. Companies will link multiple twins across assets and functions, enabling real-time operational intelligence at scale. The integration of AI will deepen predictive capabilities and unlock more autonomous operations. At a regional level, Digital Twins will play a central role in supporting smart city initiatives, enhancing infrastructure resilience, and helping nations meet their sustainability commitments. As organizations strengthen their digital and data maturity, Digital Twins will become a core pillar of the Middle East’s transformation landscape.
