Reports

Saudi Arabia is emerging as MEA’s mid-cost, high-control choice for GBS

With about 75 delivery centres nationwide and ~47 in Riyadh, Saudi offers scale with control. Grade A occupancy near 98 per cent and prime space around $535/m²/year signal a tight but navigable market, while PDPL, Saudisation and the RHQ Program favour in-country capability. Add the Saudi riyal’s peg to the US dollar and fast-maturing cloud capacity, and you have a practical base for regulated, data-sensitive work.

In this SSOW MEA article, you’ll learn:

✅ Why a Saudi base matters: how a captive-first model under PDPL and Saudisation keeps sensitive processes in-country and close to decision-makers, with the RHQ Program pulling more scope to Riyadh.

✅ What the benchmarks signal: Grade A ~98% and ~$535/m²/year prime confirm Saudi’s mid-cost profile; generative AI investment up ~30% year on year, yet about 9% feel fully ready on governance - what that means for your roadmap.

✅ Where talent gains are found: expanding local supply, rising female participation, and a practical path to bilingual and digital upskilling that supports finance, HR, procurement and analytics.

✅ How to sequence value: a 12 to 18-month plan for set-up and scale - site selection in Riyadh, early finance/HR/procurement wins, and safe AI use cases that show measurable impact.

✅ How to navigate constraints: real estate scarcity and fit-out timing, vendor oversight under PDPL, and simple controls that keep execution predictable.

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Uncover the Data. Reframe the Opportunity. Shape the Future.

As shared services and GBS models continue to evolve, the Middle East is emerging as a powerful hub for strategic, digitally enabled service delivery. But how well is that potential understood - and where do the facts diverge from perception?

SSON Research & Analytics presents the Visual Analytics Workbook (VAW) - a data-driven, visual exploration of shared services maturity across global regions, with a focused lens on the Middle East. Built for decision-makers, this workbook combines interactive visuals with market intelligence to help you:

• Benchmark your shared services model against global trends
• Explore region-by-region strengths in talent, agility, and innovation
• Understand why cities like Cairo, Dubai, and Riyadh are rising as GBS hubs
• Identify where your operations can leapfrog on the maturity curve
• See what’s driving investment in AI, digital talent, and hybrid sourcing models

If you’re planning, expanding, or reevaluating your shared services strategy in 2025, this workbook offers the visibility and foresight you need.

88% of shared services professionals’ top strategic target in 2025 is optimizing cost and efficiency. But how are leading shared services centers (SSCs) getting there?

SSON Research & Analytics’ 2025 edition of The Handbook to Setting Up a Modern SSC is now available, offering valuable, peer-driven survey results and statistics that answer these critical questions.

Key Takeaways from the Report:

• Gain insights into the top strategic priorities for 2025 and how leading SSCs are addressing them.
• Compare your SSC’s performance with industry standards and identify areas for improvement.
• Learn how to align your SSC with broader enterprise goals through effective governance and communication.
• Consider your location strategy using a range of important factors from its infrastructure to its talent pool.
• Discover best practices with advice from leaders at Aon, Iron Mountain, Cox Automotive and more for selecting and standardizing high-impact processes to ensure global consistency and efficiency.
• Leverage the latest advancements in RPA, AI, and data analytics to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

Click here to have your copy emailed to you.

The UAE is becoming MEA’s strategic command centre

With 78 delivery centres and deep benches in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the UAE is where regional leadership, analytics and AI innovation now live. Neighbouring hubs such as Cairo and Amman provide scalable “muscle,” allowing operators to balance value and cost across MEA.

In this SSOW MEA article, you’ll learn:

✅ Why a UAE-anchored hub matters: how Dubai and Abu Dhabi underpin governance, stakeholder proximity and faster decision-making, with 58 centres in Dubai alone.

✅ What the benchmarks signal: generative AI investment up nearly 30% year-on-year, 89% prioritising analytics, and a strong tilt toward captives for quality and control.

✅ Where talent wins: the Middle East’s strengths in workforce availability and cultural affinity, and how the UAE’s multilingual pool supports finance, compliance, CX and analytics.

✅ How to manage friction points: practical ways to handle cost, Emiratisation and skills bottlenecks while protecting service quality.

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This report delves into the crucial moment for the global Shared Services industry, grappling with the impact of digital transformation on its usual efficiency. Our yearly survey of Shared Services and Global Business Services leaders highlights the evolving skills needed for greater value, despite the challenge of their scarcity. Access the report for insights from our latest survey, revealing the priorities and strategies of shared services leaders for the coming year.

Are you ready to uncover the strategies, challenges, and future priorities shaping today’s most successful shared services organizations? This exclusive report, offers rare, firsthand insights straight from the leaders who are transforming the industry.

Hear Directly from Industry Trailblazers:

• Steve Bandrowczak – CEO, Xerox
• Laura Kennedy – Head of Enterprise Business Services, Aon
• Karla Sanchez – R2R Global Process Owner, TE Connectivity
• Tom Sterling – Vice President, People Solutions Operations, Cox Automotive
• Cindy Gallagher – Senior Vice President & Controller, Gannett
• Nick Davis – Director of Shared Services, Cintas
• Tage Smith – Vice President – Technology Shared Services, Pacific Life
• Rolando Lopez – Global Finance Director – Shared Services, AstraZeneca
• John Transier – Former Senior Vice President, Finance Shared Services, Vericast
• Kenneth Newton – Director, Service Delivery, NASA Shared Services Center

These executives share candid, real-world insights on leadership, technology, talent management, digital transformation, and much more.

Want a copy emailed to you? Click here to get your report now.

The "Ask the Expert" booklet compiles strategic advice from shared services and GBS leaders on critical topics like stakeholder alignment, employee engagement, recruiting talent, and performance metrics. By accessing a copy, you gain actionable tips and best practices to tackle your organization's unique challenges on the journey to shared services excellence. Access your copy to gain practical insights that will help you build, manage, and optimize your own successful shared services organization.

With efficiency and experience getting impacted due to legacy processes, transformation became a priority for Riles Jones, a Customer Service Operations Manager with Texas Instruments. That's when she reached out to Infosys BPM, who - with an impactful, award-winning modernization program - delivered enhanced efficiency, rising customer satisfaction scores, as well as over $600,000 in cost savings.