Monstarlab, a global digital consultancy firm, has announced that it will establish a strategic base in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This move will enable Monstarlab to further expand in the region, accelerate digital transformation and the development of tech-talent in line with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.
Founded in Japan, Monstarlab delivers creativity, innovation and value to customers through empowering global talent and pioneering technology and engineering. The company specialises in end-to-end transformation of enterprise and scale-up businesses. Through the Riyadh base, Monstarlab will support diversification within the public and private sector in Saudi Arabia, focusing on customer-centric design and experiences. The KSA office will be the latest strategic addition to Monstarlab’s growing footprint, which forms part of the company’s overall commitment and investments in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Hiroki Inagawa, Monstarlab’s Group Chief Executive Officer said: “Saudi Arabia is an exciting market that has invested heavily in digitalisation and the development of people and talent. We have been working with clients in the Kingdom for some time, including a new company within the Public Investment Fund, and we see tremendous opportunities for further growth. We build digital experiences that enable technology to amplify a positive impact on customers, and we believe we can bring significant benefits to the Saudi market. Through our new strategic base, we will be working with organisations in the country to make a difference within society through local capability development, in line with the country’s long-term strategy.”
Adam Alalwan, Monstarlab’s Engagement Director, based in KSA, added: “Our goal will be to bring Monstarlab’s global experience and expertise to Saudi Arabia and unlock value for our customers. With a large portion of the nation’s population under the age of 35, we aim to promote the local digital and technology communities. Through using state-of-the-art technology, we will be helping to support the advancement of a new generation of tech-savvy talent that will drive future development within the country. Our people-focused approach to business is one of our key differentiators – we are looking forward to instilling this ethos into our new base in Saudi Arabia to provide unrivalled learning opportunities for local talent in the field of technology. Our focus will be on working within key sectors including tourism and hospitality, finance and government, healthcare and others to make a positive contribution to the country’s growing economy”.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has placed technology and people at the heart of its vision and strategy for the future. For example, the ICT (Information Communication Technology) strategy 2023 outlined innovations needed to assist in transforming the country’s economy. This includes technologies such as IoT and Connected Devices, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, 3D Printing, robotics and drones, distributed ledgers and AR/VR. Monstarlab will support the strategy by bringing international experience and engineering to the Kingdom.
The ICT strategy also aims to increase the ICT sector’s contribution to the GDP, grow the levels of Saudization in the sector, increase women’s participation in the sector by 50%, boost IT and emerging technologies market size, and create more than 25,000 jobs in the sector. Monstarlab will bring its expertise in developing people’s capabilities to the Kingdom, creating new opportunities and growth for its digitally advanced youth.
The Government of Saudi Arabia has also founded a range of key programs to help achieve its goals as part of Vision 2030. This includes partnerships with tech giants and a series of initiatives by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), such as investment in emerging technologies, IT jobs and technology-focused events aimed at transforming Saudi to become a global technology hub. Events have also been created, such as @Hack and Tuwaiq 1000 Bootcamp and Coderhub. Monstarlab will support the development of a new generation of coders and programmers.
Monstarlab recently announced that it acquired ecap, a Middle East-based executive search and human capital advisory business that facilitates the identification and development of talent from the ground up. This was one of a series of milestones signifying Monstarlab’s continued expansion and commitment to the Middle East region.