Saudi Arabia Pulls Ahead of Global Peers on AI and Digital Returns, New KPMG Report Finds

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of the most confident and execution-driven technology markets in the world, according to a major new study published today by KPMG. The KPMG Saudi Arabia Tech Report 2026: Scale, Confidence and Acceleration finds that organizations across the Kingdom are not only investing more than their global counterparts, but are also turning that investment into measurable financial returns faster and at greater scale.

Drawing on a global survey of 2,500 technology leaders, including 70 from Saudi Arabia, the report reveals that 76 percent of Saudi organizations expect to be deploying artificial intelligence at scale and delivering return on investment across multiple use cases within the next 12 months — the highest level recorded anywhere in the survey. Today, 46 percent already report AI in enterprise production, compared with just 21 percent globally.

The financial story is equally striking. Saudi organizations report an average of approximately US$200 million in value realized from digital technologies, with no respondent reporting zero or negative returns. Nearly four in ten organizations invest between US$100 million and US$249.9 million annually in digital, placing the Kingdom firmly at the upper end of global investment bands. Crucially, more of that money is going into growth and transformation than into simply keeping the lights on.

What stands out is not just the scale, but the discipline behind it. Ninety-three percent of Saudi organizations centralize decisions on new technology, 99 percent follow formal processes to evaluate emerging tools, and 69 percent report optimized maturity in cybersecurity — well above global benchmarks. Risk appetite is high, with 51 percent of leaders willing to take bold technology bets compared with 36 percent globally, but it is governed risk rather than reckless experimentation.

"The 2026 findings show that organizations across the Kingdom are entering a new phase of technology-led transformation," said Robert Ptaszynski, Partner and Head of Technology at KPMG Middle East. "Strong digital foundations and sustained investment are translating into greater confidence, faster adoption, and a clear shift from experimentation toward value realization. The focus for leaders is now firmly on execution discipline, governance, and scaling what works."

Seventy-one percent of Saudi technology leaders describe themselves as fast followers rather than first movers — a deliberate choice, the report argues, that prioritizes proven technologies that can be deployed reliably across large, complex organizations. National platforms such as HUMAIN, the Public Investment Fund-backed AI venture launched in 2025, exemplify how the Kingdom is aligning capital, governance, and ecosystems behind enterprise-scale AI rather than fragmented pilots.

The report is not without notes of caution. Saudi leaders flag geopolitical tensions (39 percent) and internal governance gaps (37 percent) as the leading barriers to collaboration on emerging technologies, both above global averages. Resource scarcity — including energy, water, and specialized talent — is now the single biggest AI-related concern in the Kingdom, cited by a third of respondents. Looking ahead, biased data is rising as the dominant future risk.

The full report, including sector-level analysis, executive commentary, and a 2026 leadership agenda, is available at kpmg.com/sa.

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