Vistas of growth
Maged Wassim, VP and Middle East Market Head, Cognizant, discusses why the company is bullish about the opportunities in the Saudi Arabian market.
Please tell us about your participation at LEAP this year.
We showcased our GenAI technologies, primarily focusing on the aviation and healthcare industries, which are our strengths. Globally, healthcare accounts for the larger portion of our revenues, and we operate the largest healthcare administration in the US
How do you see emerging technologies changing the nature of businesses in the region?
It’s changing significantly because the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, wants to undertake cutting-edge projects. So we’ve been talking, for example, to companies like Riyadh Airport, which aims to be the most advanced in the world. However, to reach this point, you cannot rely solely on management consultancy. You need IoT, AI, equipment from different vendors, to connect them together and enhance the airport experience for passengers, making it unique.
Similarly, Saudi Arabia is building a world-class healthcare ecosystem, and I think that by next year, we are going to see airports here that can surpass any airport in the world, not just in terms of architecture but also in terms of functionalities. This is why we are interested in Saudi Arabia because they are building things that have not been done before.
Can you share some insight into your GenAI use cases?
Yes, we have developed a model for an AI doctor, so a doctor that you can talk to on a screen, diagnose you, screen you, and come up with advice on what may be going wrong with you. So we’re even using it live in Arabic with customers.
Which verticals do you focus on?
We focus on four key verticals – aviation, healthcare, telecommunications, and banking. However, the primary focus of Cognizant is on aviation and healthcare.
Do you offer tailored solutions for the aviation sector?
We operate airports like Heathrow and Schiphol and collaborate with major airlines both globally and regionally. We have deep expertise in this domain, which is why I want to expand this business.
Do you recommend moving to the cloud as part of IT modernisation?
It depends on the need. Cloud services are very prominent in Saudi Arabia, with Alibaba, Microsoft, Amazon, and Google present here. However, there is a price attached to it, and it can be expensive in some cases. Therefore, users must make the right decisions. We have partnerships with Microsoft and AWS, but I believe customers need to be selective about cloud migration. We provide advisory services to assist customers in making informed decisions.
