In an exclusive interview, Tony Bates, Chief Executive Officer for Genesys, discusses the company's robust growth trajectory in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. Highlighting key strategies and market trends, Bates sheds light on Genesys' pivotal role in advancing digital transformation and enhancing customer experiences in the region.

Q: Genesys’ international and regional footprint continues to grow, especially in the Kingdom. What is the key strategy driving the company’s growth, expansion, and diversification?

A: Genesys will play an important role in helping the Kingdom advance its ambitious Vision 2030 plan, which includes a strong focus on digitalization, building a knowledge-based economy, and improving the lives of its citizens.

Two major milestones are part of our growth strategy in the region. The first is our acquisition of Radarr Technologies, a leading AI-based social and digital listening, analytics, and consumer engagement company. Social media has become the primary way many consumers around the world engage with businesses, especially in Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East. This acquisition helps Genesys empower organizations to unify their customer interactions across channels like never before, enabling them to create proactive, prescriptive engagement to drive loyalty in the experience economy.

The second milestone is creating a local presence for Genesys in Saudi Arabia. As part of our growing commitment to the region, we’re proud to launch our Riyadh office. This new location is part of our regional expansion, with a growing team that will be based in Saudi Arabia, supporting local enterprises transitioning to the cloud as part of KSA’s digital economy goals.

Q: With the cloud experiencing an uptick in Saudi Arabia over the past year, what growth trends are you observing in the cloud, CX, AI, and digital transformation across the Middle East & Africa region overall?

A: In the Middle East and Africa, we're witnessing a major surge in cloud adoption, and the AI and digital transformation markets in Saudi Arabia are also growing rapidly. This is, in part, because Saudi Arabia has actively invested in cloud and digitization initiatives to accelerate its economic diversification and technological advancement. This evolving landscape and push for emerging technologies will continue to grow over time. As more enterprises in KSA move to the cloud, Genesys will be at the forefront providing tailored solutions that will enable organizations to accelerate their digital transformation and drive innovation.

Q: CX executives worldwide say that keeping pace with customer expectations is their top challenge. How has Genesys been working with AI and ML to reshape the customer journey across industries?

A: The AI-powered Genesys Cloud platform brings together conversational AI, predictive AI, and generative AI to deliver exceptional digital experiences across channels, enabling businesses to engage their customers effectively and consistently. By aligning our technology with the evolving needs of customers, we help enterprises of all industries use AI and ML to improve operational efficiency and improve customer experience.

Q: What are the growth plans for the year ahead, and what can be expected in terms of direction and market?

A: Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region are a significant opportunity for Genesys, where we have built a solid footprint over 20 years with more than 200 customers. In KSA, Genesys will continue to demonstrate our commitment by growing our local team and expanding our technological capabilities to help create personalized, end-to-end customer experiences. We will be at the heart of key government digitalization initiatives and work with the private sector to help organizations design, plan, and execute better experiences for both their customers and employees.

With a track record of delivering more than 350 new features in the past year alone, our priority is continuous innovation. We incorporate customer feedback into our roadmap to ensure their input helps shape the evolution of our technology. This is a critical component of where we go next as we continue to bring best-in-class experience orchestration technology to the market.