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Manufacturing , offering valuable insights into trends , challenges , and plans for global manufacturers . The international study surveyed more than 1,550 respondents from 17 countries , including the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates .

Ediz Eren , Regional Vice President , Middle East , Türkiye and Africa , Rockwell Automation

Three clear messages emerge from this report for companies in Saudi Arabia and UAE : AI revolution is here for manufacturing , technology is being deployed to give the workforce superpowers , and companies face challenges in implementing new technology .

" In the region , the AI revolution is unmistakably underway ," said Ediz Eren , Regional Vice President , Middle East , Türkiye and Africa , Rockwell Automation . " Our survey reveals that 87 % of companies have either invested or plan to invest in artificial intelligence and machine learning within the next year , with generative AI the charge at 86 %. The impact of AI is profound , with applications ranging from quality control to cybersecurity , robotics , and supply chain management .”

As businesses navigate this transformative landscape , driven by the ambitious targets set by their respective governments , addressing the skills gap emerges as a key challenge , with 46 % citing a lack of skilled workers , compared with 30 % in the US . To bridge this gap , 45 % are turning to automation while also focusing on organisational change management to overcome technology paralysis and drive sustainable growth .

In any digital transformation , people are all too often the forgotten dimension . For companies in the Saudi Arabia and UAE , they represent a clear challenge , with a lack of skilled workers , 46 % by far the biggest barrier when it came to adopting smart manufacturing technologies .

This was well above the next two : cost and employee ’ s resistance to change – both at 34 %. When asked what the biggest internal challenge to growth was , workforce issues featured prominently again , with worker , knowledge retention second at 24 %.

To address the manufacturing industry ' s labour shortage and skills gap , 45 % of companies in the Saudi Arabia and UAE are looking to increase the use of automation . Other significant responses were outsourcing work to consultants , 42 % and introducing AI , 41 %.

When it comes to the biggest internal challenges to growth over the next 12 months , the focus was on technology . A quarter of companies cited technology paralysis as the biggest barrier , with challenges deploying and integrating new technology third at 24 %. To mitigate against these technology challenges , 36 % of companies in the region are looking to implement a formal organisational change management program .

In the Saudi Arabia and UAE , smart manufacturing technologies are rapidly reshaping industries . With 87 % of companies investing in AI and machine learning , the region is embracing innovation to drive efficiency and competitiveness . Overcoming challenges like the skills gap and technology integration , the two countries are poised for transformative growth .

This report analysed feedback from 1,567 respondents from 17 of the top manufacturing countries with roles from management up to the C-suite and was conducted in association with Sapio Research and Plex Systems .

The survey covered discrete , process , and hybrid industries across a balanced distribution of company sizes with revenues spanning $ 10 million to over $ 10 billion , providing a wide breadth of manufacturing business perspectives . p

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