Business & Money | Wednesday 2 October, 2019 1:06 pm |

Deloitte, under the patronage of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MCIT) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), today marked the official opening of its state-of-the art Deloitte Digital Center (the “Digital Center”) in Riyadh. The Digital Center enables private and public sector clients to work side-by-side with Deloitte’s experts to unlock the potential of disruptive technologies and deliver cutting-edge products and services across the Middle East. 

The Saudi Minister of Communication and Information Technology His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha inaugurated the Digital Center in the presence of the Chair of the Deloitte Global Board of Directors, Sharon Thorne, along with a number of officials and leaders from the MCIT, distinguished guests from leading industries of the public and private sectors, and Deloitte.

In line with the aspirations of KSA’s Vision 2030, the Digital Center will also provide employment opportunities for Saudi talent at the Digital Center while allowing private and public sector organizations supported by the Digital Center to train, develop and equip their own workforces with the skills required to thrive in the digital era.

The Digital Center in Riyadh is the latest addition to Deloitte global network of Digital Centers. Its opening marks the launch of Deloitte Digital in the Middle East, the world’s leading digital consultancy helping clients unlock the potential of new innovative and disruptive technologies. Deloitte Digital brings international best-practice in digital transformation and change to the Middle East, having delivered impressive outcomes to a wide range of clients operating across different industries. 

Commenting at the launch event, Dr. Ahmed Al-Thenayyan, Deputy Minister for Technology and Digital Capacities Development at MCIT said, “Deloitte Digital Center is the result of cooperation in many areas with Deloitte. Deloitte focuses on promoting technology development and enriching business solutions centers with partners in the private sector. Initially, the Center will qualify approximately 200 Saudi digital cadres in preparation for employment in the Center. It will also dedicate a special program to developing local human resources and a scholarship and training program to nurture the technical knowledge of Saudi youth,” added Al-Thenayyan.

Mazen Pharaon, Leader of the Deloitte Digital Center in Riyadh, said: “The opening of the Deloitte Digital Center in Riyadh is an exciting moment for Deloitte and a major milestone in the development of KSA’s digital and tech industry. The center provides an experiential environment for clients, allowing them to work alongside our teams to harness digital innovations that can deliver substantial long-term socioeconomic benefits to the nation. The Digital Center will also provide career opportunities for ambitious Saudis who want to play a major role in the national and regional digital revolution.”

“The opening of the Digital Center marks a further big step in our investment and commitment to Saudi Arabia and the Middle East and is a key part of our growth plans in the region.  With the Digital Center here in the region, bringing our global digital capability and investing in amazing young Saudi talent we hope to contribute to delivering the Visions of GCC countries in building innovative and technology enabled world leading economies”, added Tim Parr, CEO Consulting, Deloitte Middle East. 

“Digitization and the Fourth Industrial Revolution have the ability to improve everyday lives and elevate the human experience. Deloitte Digital has widespread experience globally in digital transformation and change, allowing us to bring unique insights and expertise to support the delivery of large-scale transformation programmes in the region. We are now looking to build our team with Saudi talent possessing the skills, drive and creativity to serve clients and contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country,” concluded Rushdi Duqah, Deloitte Digital Leader, Middle East.

From strategy and design through to implementation and management, clients can now benefit from the Deloitte Digital Center’s capabilities, collaborating with Deloitte’s experts to test and refine concepts, experiment with pioneering innovations and digital technologies, and create new services and operational models, before they are brought to market.