The Middle East stands out as the most committed region globally to digital transformation, US-based industrial automation giant Rockwell Automation said in a new report.

As many as 98 percent of manufacturers in the region recognize it as essential, significantly higher than in Europe, the United States and the global average.

In addition, regional organisations are allocating close to 30% of their operating budgets to industrial technology, according to Rockwell Automation’s 11th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing” report.

Manufacturers across the UAE and Saudi Arabia are moving faster than any other region in adopting and scaling advanced technologies, it added.

“Manufacturers in the Middle East are not just adopting digital technologies, they are scaling them at pace,” said Ediz Eren, regional vice president, Middle East, Africa and Turkey, Rockwell Automation.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the heart of this transformation. Nearly 59 percent of manufacturers in the region have already invested in AI or machine learning, with 98  percent  using or planning to use AI.  

According to the report, 55  percent  of manufacturers in the Middle East use AI for quality control, 50  percent for cybersecurity and 49 percent for work optimisation.

Cybersecurity remains a central priority as connectivity expands across industrial operations.  

Almost 97 percent  are investing in or planning cybersecurity, with 57  percent  experiencing a cyberattack in the past year, the report said.

(Writing by P Deol; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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