KPMG, a leading provider of audit, tax, and advisory services in Saudi Arabia, and global software giant Microsoft launched the Center for Emerging Technologies (CET) during a gathering of industry-leading futurists and technology experts held in Riyadh on 18 December 2023. The launch of the CET marks an expansion of KPMG and Microsoft’s global alliance of almost twenty years into Saudi Arabia. It is a nation-wide initiative designed to help organizations in the Kingdom better understand the implications and opportunities that emerging technologies bring, and how to leverage them effectively to transform businesses. The launch event in Riyadh brought together around 150 global and local thought leaders including Dr.Michio Kaku, an American physicist and popular science writer, to discuss current and future technology waves and their relevance to Saudi Arabia’s digital transformation journey. The CET will explore a wide range of emerging technologies, with a dedicated focus on recent artificial intelligence (AI) advancements, Web 3.0 technologies, as well as quantum computing. The center will collaborate with industry leaders to help shape technology strategies for organizations in Saudi Arabia, fostering greater internationalcollaboration and knowledge exchange. Driven from KPMG’s Insight Centre in Riyadh, the CET will also see KPMG and Microsoft workingclosely with several organizations in the Kingdom,discussing technology expectations and objectives, assessing readiness and fit, creating proof of concepts, and setting successful adoption roadmaps. “The Center for Emerging Technologies partners with interested organizations – irrespective of their size or the sector they operate in – to help them learnabout, assess, and properly adopt some of these technologies,” said Khalil Ibrahim Al Sedais, Regional Managing Partner – Riyadh, KPMG in Saudi Arabia. “The centre will collaborate with key industry figures within and beyond Saudi Arabia to gather insights on the best-fit technology innovation waves,” AL Sedaisadded. “Further, the CET is appointing an Advisory Board to guide discussions in the Kingdom on the potential for, and roadmap towards integrating new tech into current organizational capabilities.” Turki Badhris, President of Microsoft Arabia, commented: “Our alliance with KPMG on the Centerfor Emerging Technologies is a vital part of our commitment to empower organizations in the Kingdom in their business transformation and technology adoption journeys. By combining our cutting-edge technologies and global partner network with KPMG’s deep industry knowledge and expertise, the CET will deliver high value interventions to businesses across sectors, helping them to accelerate growth through innovation and drive digital transformation efforts across Saudi Arabia.” KPMG and Microsoft announced an industry-leading collaboration in July this year, with KPMG committing a multibillion-dollar investment in Microsoft cloud and AI services over the next five years. The partnership will help KPMG unlock potential incremental growth opportunities of over US$12 billion. The expanded alliance will also enhance KPMG client engagements and supercharge the employee experience in a responsible, trustworthy and safe way.