The enterprise application development landscape is undergoing a profound shift, with new research showing that CIOs are moving away from traditional development approaches to meet growing business demands. According to Kissflow’s 2025 CIO Low-Code Strategy Pulse Report, 86% of CIOs now view low-code platforms as essential to their technology strategy, while the integration of AI is expected to further transform the speed and scale of application delivery.
The report highlights that most organisations are under pressure to deliver more applications in less time, amid talent shortages and mounting IT backlogs. Over half of CIOs (55%) believe AI will dramatically increase the number of applications developed, underscoring the technology’s role as a catalyst for accelerating development. At the same time, the widespread adoption of low-code platforms, with 86% of CIOs having already implemented one, demonstrates how businesses are rethinking their delivery models to maintain agility.
Another significant trend is the rise of citizen development. The research reveals that functions such as operations (33%), finance (25%) and HR (23%) are emerging as capable of building their own applications with minimal IT assistance. This decentralisation reflects a growing appetite for business-led innovation, where teams closest to the business challenge are empowered to create solutions quickly.
Cost efficiency remains a critical metric for success, with 57% of CIOs measuring the impact of low-code platforms by reduced application development costs, followed by reduced maintenance costs and the number of new applications deployed. When selecting platforms, AI features ranked as the most important differentiator (34%), ahead of total cost of ownership and system integration capabilities, signalling that AI-driven development is becoming a top priority for technology leaders.
“The data makes one thing clear: the traditional, IT-only model for application development can no longer keep pace with business demands,” said Prasanna Rajendran, Vice President at Kissflow. “In the Middle East, we see this trend amplified by rapid digital transformation across sectors such as government, finance and energy. CIOs here are looking for ways to scale innovation without adding to IT complexity or cost. Low-code and AI-enabled platforms are giving enterprises the ability to address application backlogs, modernise legacy systems, and empower business users, all while maintaining governance and security.”
The study also points to key drivers behind the adoption of low-code platforms. Pressure from executive leadership (27%) and overwhelming application backlogs (26%) are among the top reasons cited by CIOs. The primary use cases include internal tool development such as workflows and approvals (71%), legacy system modernisation (48%) and expanding ERP or CRM functionality (45%).
As organisations look ahead, the convergence of low-code and AI is set to define the next phase of enterprise application development, enabling CIOs to deliver greater speed, flexibility and cost efficiency while driving innovation across business functions.
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