Deloitte evaluates AI Readiness in the Middle East

21 November, 2021 – Are organizations in the Middle East truly prepared for an Artificial Intelligence (AI) transformation? Deloitte’s latest survey of over 150 GCC leadership and management teams across a multitude of different sectors, AI Readiness in the Middle East 2021 edition, looks at their current level of readiness and whether they have actually implemented AI strategies and draws conclusions on overall AI readiness in the Middle East. 

“Our survey of more than 150 organizations across the Middle East has shown that ambitions and expectations from AI are high but implementing AI strategies has proved challenging,” said Sultanbek Khunkaev, Managing Partner, Monitor Deloitte Middle East. “Interestingly, we found that while Middle East leaders believe they are ready for AI transformation, management teams are much less
optimistic.”

The Deloitte survey revealed that the main reasons for AI challenges for the sample studied follows predictable patterns. The majority of organizations made little progress beyond just developing an AI strategy. Others invested prematurely on AI algorithms, technology, and data without having the right talent, governance and culture in place to drive AI transformation. Alarmingly, even for relatively advanced organizations, addressing ethical concerns around AI remained a problem making it difficult to build the trust needed to reap benefits of AI transformation. However, the Deloitte report finds that these predictable patterns also make it easier to overcome these challenges systematically with organizations learning from each other to avoid common pitfalls.

In order to allow organizations across the Middle East to intuitively visualize the capabilities needed to succeed on their journey to AI transformation, Deloitte conceptualized an AI Avatar, made up of numerous body parts, each representing a vital AI capability:

• The brain houses AI logic & algorithms while the heart guides strategy
• AI talent and governance are the arms that execute
• Technology and data give it legs
• AI culture is the torso that binds together the whole while ethics is the spine that holds it up 

“By visualizing these capabilities as an intuitive AI avatar, Middle East leaders can engage in meaningful dialogue with management teams to develop more realistic AI strategies to revitalize their AI transformations,” said Arnab Bhattacharya, Director, Monitor Deloitte Middle East.

To view the whole report, please visit: AI Readiness in the Middle East | Deloitte Middle East | Monitor Deloitte

About Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) LLP:

Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) LLP (DME) is the affiliate for the territories of the Middle East and Cyprus of Deloitte NSE LLP (“NSE”), a UK limited liability partnership and member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”).

DME is a leader in professional services with uninterrupted presence in the Middle East since 1926 with 26 offices in 14 countries and around 5,000 partners, directors and staff. DME’s presence in the Middle East and Cyprus is established through its affiliated independent legal entities, which are licensed to operate and to provide services under the applicable laws and regulations of the relevant country. DME’s affiliates and related entities cannot oblige each other and/or DME, and when providing services, each affiliate and related entity engages directly and independently with its own clients and shall only be liable for its own acts or omissions and not those of any other affiliate.

About Deloitte:

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