Sami Abi Esber, President – Midis System Integration and Board member, Midis Group was recently interviewed by Anita Joseph in Reseller Middle East about the rapid growth and progress of digital transformation across the MENA region.

The interview covered many themes and aspects with Anita initially asking Sami about how he perceives the current states of digital transformation – he sees business leaders, regulators and end-users all in agreement about the need for change.

Sami points out that the massive growth in smartphone use has been a principal driver for change, with users consuming many more digital services than before, and a consequent rise in the amount of business data that can be used to create new business models as well.

According to Sami in the Reseller ME interview, the resulting growth in business has been extraordinary: “So, I’m not surprised that the digital transformation market in MENA is forecasted to reach $2.8 billion by 2025. Economies like the KSA and the UAE are setting high standards. Take the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021 for example — it aims to blockchain-enable 50% of government transactions. Where else can you see such large-scale, ambitious transformations happening?”

Across the region there are two or three emerging factors in the way transformation is building – Sami sees national strategies as key, but he suggests that the private sector is also driving development – primarily to define and manage business KPIs but also to continue to improve customer service and the consumer experience.

“So, overall, I must say, it is an exciting time to be in the MENA region, and to note that digital transformation is a journey and not a destination by itself, as once you transform, technology will further evolve, enable new scenarios and there will be a need for a second wave of transformation and so on. We are at the beginning of the journey in MENA region, but certainly making interesting strides.”

Read more of the in-depth interview with Sami Abi Esber in Reseller ME