U.S. technology giant Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) has revealed key findings from its global networking study ahead of its flagship “Cisco Connect – CXO Edition” event in Riyadh, highlighting how artificial intelligence is accelerating fundamental shifts in enterprise infrastructure across Saudi Arabia.
The research underscores that IT leaders in the Kingdom view modernized, secure, and resilient networks as essential to unlocking the benefits of AI, cloud, and IoT technologies.
According to Cisco, 94% of respondents plan to increase their IT networking budgets, driven by the need for real-time, intelligent infrastructure that supports AI-enabled workloads and customer experiences.
The report comes as Saudi Arabia ramps up digital transformation under its Vision 2030 agenda, with a strong focus on AI infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Cisco’s local chief, Salman Faqeeh, said the Kingdom is taking a leadership role in building next-generation digital systems needed to power its innovation-driven economy. He added:
Our research highlights a critical shift in network architecture that aligns with Saudi Arabia’s focus on innovation. The AI era relies on ultra-fast, low-latency, and highly secure networks, and KSA is leading the way by building the AI infrastructure of the future.
The study shows 98% of Saudi IT leaders regard secure networking as vital to business growth, with 65% calling it critical.
Meanwhile, 97% reported experiencing major outages in the last two years, largely due to congestion, misconfigurations, and cyber threats, fueling urgency for more resilient infrastructure.
With over half of respondents expecting AI-powered customer experiences to be a key revenue driver, the shift toward autonomous, adaptive networks is gaining momentum.
However, only 40% have implemented advanced capabilities such as segmentation and intelligent control, revealing a significant execution gap.
Cisco noted that while 67% of organizations say their current data centers cannot meet AI’s demands, 90% plan to expand capacity either on-premises or in the cloud.
As digital infrastructure becomes more central to value creation, 92% of leaders believe improved networks will drive direct revenue, and 97% expect measurable cost savings from smarter operations and reduced downtime.
The findings are based on a global survey of over 8,000 IT and business leaders conducted by Sandpiper Research across 30 markets in December 2024.