“We are no longer at a crossroads of accepting and incorporating digital transformation in our businesses; it is now an imperative decision that is key to competitive readiness and economic growth.” – Mohamed Talaat, Senior Vice President, Saudi Egypt Libya and Turkey, Dell EMC.
With the theme of ‘Make it Real’, Dell Technologies wrapped up our year-concluding Forum in Riyadh and showcased the emerging technologies transforming our future. The event on December 10th provided a galvanizing opportunity for over 2000 of Saudi’s business and IT leaders to come together and see the seven Dell Technologies powerhouses—Dell, Dell EMC, Pivotal, RSA, SecureWorks, Virtustream, and VMware—all under one roof. Keynote addresses from Dell EMC’s Margaret Franco, Senior Vice President Marketing, Europe Middle East and Africa; Mohammed Amin, Senior Vice President, Middle East, Turkey and Africa; and Mohamed Talaat, Vice President, Saudi, Egypt, Libya & Turkey, as well as presentations from subject matter experts, break-out sessions and informative workshops helped to make Dell Technologies Forum Riyadh an excellent platform for exchanging Digital Transformation ideas and best practices.
Enabling Business Transformation with the Latest Technologies
Margaret Franco led us through an eye opening keynote which explores the emerging technologies turning data into real business value. We can no longer run away from “data as a currency” as its already playing a major role in our economy today. Instead we need to embrace “the story of data and how it can be a currency to grow your business, starting with IoT!”. Franco went on to emphasize the importance of de-risking IoT by partnering with the best; Dell Technologies and our strategically aligned businesses are not only helping customers turn their data into insights, but mobilizing them to become proactive rather than reactive. This also echoed the sentiment of “technology is not the enabler, but the driver of business” shared during Mohamad Amin’s discussion with the CIO of the Saudi Arabia Monetary Authority, Mohamad Al-Misfer.
Dell Technologies Forum Riyadh 2018 was the platform where we chose to share with customers Dell Technologies’ latest industry-leading solutions, best practices, and success stories. In our exhibition area, attendees were able to experience hands on solution and product demos covering everything from the cloud and virtualization to emerging technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Virtual Reality (VR). Our Saudi partners were on hand to answer queries from customers around IT, workforce, security, and digital transformation.
Dell EMC also revealed key findings from our Digital Transformation Index (DT Index) with Intel with our customers and partners. The study maps digital transformation progress of medium to large companies and business leaders. Despite one-third of regional heads of KSA and UAE businesses recognizing the necessity of digital transformation, our study showed that up to 90% are being impeded! This eye-opening realization triggered a strong talking point amongst industry leaders and the role that Dell EMC plays in enabling transformation.
The top five barriers identified were data privacy and cybersecurity concerns, lack of in-house skills and expertise, information overload, regulation or legislative changes, and the lack of budget and resources.
Inclusive Workforce: Women in Tech
Additionally, the news on digital transformation showed some encouraging regional statistics with Saudi Arabia showing 144% growth within technology firms run by Saudi women. The positive impact of women joining the workforce in Saudi Arabia was further highlighted at the Women in Technology session, hosted by Haidi Nossair of Dell EMC, with inspirational guest speakers including Wahda Bin Zahra. Dell EMC recognize the invaluable contributions of women in IT and the workplace challenges they face on a daily basis. We also outlined plans to create a sustainable company culture of inclusion and diversity where male and female strengths are considered equally.
As we move into 2019, we are excited to help organizations to strategically utilize technology and undergo digital transformation in the preparation for creating digital cities, robust economies, and future-ready governments. Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification will be bolstered by its digital readiness and we are proud to be working with the public sector and service providers to ensure that our industry-leading solutions are helping the Kingdom achieve its Vision for 2030.
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Visit our website to download the Dell Technologies Forum Riyadh presentations.
