Meet our cohorts

We surveyed 3,300 professionals worldwide working in IT and other business functions. In Saudi Arabia, 200 decision-makers across IT and other key business functions were surveyed from a range of private sector organizations. We've divided them into two broad categories: IT decision-makers (ITDMs) and business decision-makers (BDMs).

82

ITDMs

118

BDMs

The interwoven tale of IT and cybersecurity

The importance of IT is rising

92%

of the decision-makers in Saudi Arabia report that the collaboration between the organization's IT team and other departments has increased over the last 2 years.

92%

also agree that IT is now more responsible for business innovation than ever before.

Organizations turn to their IT teams and leaders for cybersecurity

69%

of decision-makers in Saudi Arabia believe that it is the responsibility of IT and security teams to protect their organization from cyberattacks.

Top two teams or people responsible for cybersecurity

Chart

Based on the responses of decision-makers (ITDMs and BDMs)

AI and ML technologies are lending IT teams a hand

61%

of the BDMs in Saudi Arabia report that their organizations have invested in AI to prevent cyberattacks. This is in line with the global average.

91%

of the decision-makers in Saudi Arabia expect AI and ML technologies to play a significant role in strengthening their IT security framework in the near future.

The decentralization and democratization of IT

There's a push towards IT decentralization

60%

of the ITDMs in Saudi Arabia report that they have successfully decentralized their organizational IT structure.

39%

report that they are currently attempting to decentralize their IT structure.

What's driving organizations towards this?

68%

of decision-makers believe that decentralization of their IT functions will lead to professional growth through upskilling. This is higher than the global average of 55%.

65%

also believe that decentralization would broaden the scope for innovation. This is higher than the global average of 57%.

IT is also being democratized through low-code

61%

of the ITDMs in Saudi Arabia report that their non-IT developers and DevOps teams are leveraging low-code or no-code platforms to build their own applications. This is nearly twice the global average of 32%.

Non-IT teams building their own applications with low-code and no-code platforms

Chart

Based on the responses of ITDMs

Still, IT leaders feel that their non-IT departments require more tech training

71%

of ITDMs in Saudi Arabia reportedly believe that their non-IT developers and DevOps teams should receive more technical training. This is well above the global average of 46%.

Top non-IT departments that need more technical training

Chart

Based on the responses of ITDMs

The tale of IT leaders and their current organizations

ITDMs are predominantly happy with their jobs

68%

of ITDMs in Saudi Arabia said they're not actively looking for a new job and seem to be satisfied with their current employer. This is 17% higher than the global average of 51%.

63%

feel that their loyalty towards their employer has not wavered much in the last two years.

What do IT leaders expect from their current organizations?

62%

of Saudi Arabian ITDMs say lack of promotion opportunities would drive them to resign from their organizations.

Which of the below would drive you to resign from your current organization if it was no longer offered?

Chart

Based on the responses of ITDMs

However, ITDMs weren't adequately consulted on the establishment of flexible working models

52%

of the ITDMs in Saudi Arabia report that they were inadequately consulted or not consulted at all before establishing a flexible working model. This is 19% higher than the global average of 33%.

32%

say that they hadn't been consulted at all. This is the highest when compared with the rest of the globe.

Wrapping it up

The proliferation of technology is breaking down barriers between IT teams and other departments, leading to elevated collaboration. Organizations are leveraging AI and ML technologies to bolster their cybersecurity frameworks. Meanwhile, non-IT teams are being empowered by low-code and no-code platforms to build their own applications.

Organizations in Saudi Arabia have rightly understood the wants and needs of their tech leaders, ensuring their satisfaction and steadfast loyalty. In the age of the Great Resignation, the fact that most organizations in Saudi Arabia are retaining their talent is a noteworthy achievement.

Wrapping it up

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