INDUSTRY WATCH strict safety and ethical standards. We handle huge amounts of sensitive data – patients and practitioners need to trust the systems we use.”
Uday Shankar echoed this caution:“ We help organisations test AI with small-scale pilots before they commit significant investments. The goal is to make AI part of a broader digital journey, not an isolated experiment. And it has to be done with embedded guardrails – security, compliance, and accountability are non-negotiable, especially where human lives are concerned.”
Flexibility, sovereignty and the road ahead
In Saudi Arabia and across the Gulf, Digital Transformation is accelerating, but it’ s not without obstacles. Data sovereignty laws require sensitive data to remain within national borders, influencing cloud adoption strategies.
Procurement processes in large public institutions can be lengthy, slowing down innovation.
“ We’ ve cut processing times dramatically,” said the technology leader.“ What used to take days can now be done in minutes. It’ s not just about speed – the accuracy of classification has improved and our staff can focus on complex cases rather than repetitive checks. Most importantly, practitioners no longer have to chase updates.
“ The experience is smoother for everyone involved.” This example is part of a broader push to automate services, reduce friction for healthcare professionals, and enable the organisation to scale in line with the Kingdom’ s growing population and healthcare demands.
Responsible innovation in a sensitive sector
Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming part of healthcare’ s digital fabric, not just in administrative processes but in clinical decision-making and even surgeries. However, introducing AI in a highly regulated, sensitive domain is not without challenges.
“ There is a lot of hype around AI,” said the Saudibased technology leader.
“ But in healthcare, you can’ t adopt technology just because it’ s popular. We have to research deeply, assess whether it truly adds value and ensure it meets
WSO2 has tackled these challenges by offering flexible deployment models – on-premise, private cloud or public cloud – while working closely with local partners to navigate regulations and build skills.
“ The region’ s talent ecosystem is critical,” Uday explained.“ We invest heavily in training partners and customers, helping them develop engineering skills and adopt open APIs effectively. Governments are pushing for local expertise and we’ re aligning with that vision.”
For Saudi Arabia’ s healthcare sector, the foundations are now set for a future where administrative burdens are minimised, services are fully automated and practitioners can focus on what they do best – caring for patients.
“ We see technology as a necessity, not an option anymore,” said the technology leader.“ Every improvement we make in speed, reliability, and security ultimately benefits the people we serve. Our goal is simple: empower the healthcare workforce to meet the needs of the future.”
And as Uday concludes, this is only the beginning:“ Governments in the region are investing heavily in digital initiatives. Open integration, automation, and AI are the building blocks of the future economy. For us, success means helping organisations build secure, scalable digital foundations that can adapt and grow for years to come.” p
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