Talent, Not Just Technology, Will Decide Saudi Arabia's AI Dividend

(MENAFN- APCO Worldwide) RIYADH, Saudi Arabia; 7 September 2026 – As Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 drives record investment in artificial intelligence and digital transformation, Issam Alanqar is urging organizations across the Kingdom to place workforce readiness at the center of their AI strategy, indicating that technology investment alone will not deliver lasting value without a parallel commitment to building local talent and capability.
During LEAP 2026 in Riyadh, where Accenture has participated as the event's Gen AI Partner, Issam Alanqar, Talent Reinvention Partner Lead at Accenture Middle East and Africa, said organizations that treat talent as an afterthought to their AI roadmaps risk falling short of the transformation they are chasing.
“Organizations need to treat talent as part of the AI investment from day on”,” said Alanq“r. “They should identify the workflows and roles AI will change most, then link learning, work redesign and accountability to those prior”ties.”
Saudi Arabia, he noted, already has strong momentum behind it in terms of infrastructure and national ambition. The next competitive advantage, he said, will come from local capability. Through Accenture LearnVantage and collaborations with national entities and ecosystem partners, Accenture helps organizations build practical AI skills at scale, including an agreement with a leading government entity to train more than 1,500 local professionals in AI.
Closing the Capability Gap
Alanqar said the talent gap facing organizations in the Kingdom extends well beyond a shortage of technical specialists. Leaders, he argued, must be able to connect AI investment decisions to business value, risk and workforce strategy, while technical and functional teams need the skills to build, integrate, secure and govern AI systems. Just as importantly, employees across the wider organization need the confidence and judgment to use AI responsibly, check its outputs and remain accountable for decisions made with its support.
Accenture's Middle East sovereign AI research shows strong momentum in national strategies and sovereign cloud infrastructure across the region, but Alanqar cautioned that capability and leadership ownership still need to catch up.
“Technology alone is n”t enough,⦣8220; he said. “Organizations need to become talent creators, not just tal”nt consumers.”
How Jobs Will Evolve
Looking three to five years ahead, Alanqar said AI will change the mix of work more than it changes every role in the same way. Routine research, drafting, analysis and coordination tasks will increasingly be supported by AI, while human work will place greater emphasis on judgment, complex problem-solving, relationships, creativity and accountability. New responsibilities, he added, will also grow around AI oversight, data stewardship, risk management and the design of human-AI workflows.
The pattern of change will differ by sector, he said. Government entities can use AI to make services more proactive and connected, while the energy sector can apply it to support smarter operations and decisions. In financial services and healthcare, trust, security, explainability and human oversight will remain essential. Accenture's Connected Innovation Center, he noted, is designed to help Saudi organizations test new ways of working and move from AI experimentation to scaled implementation and measurable value.
Beyond Access to a Tool
Asked about the biggest misconception leaders hold about preparing their workforce for the AI era, Alanqar pointed to a common assumption that readiness can be achieved simply by giving employees access to an AI tool and a short training course.
“Adoption does not happen automatically, and course completion is not the same as capabilit”,” he sa“d. “People need to understand how AI changes their work, where they remain accountable, how to judge an output and when to escalate an ”ssue.”
Preparing the workforce, he said, requires role-based learning, practical experience, redesigned workflows and clear leadership support, alongside a clear understanding among employees of why the organization is changing and how AI can support their work.
Embedding Learning Into the Flow of Work
On building a culture of continuous learning, Alanqar said learning becomes part of work when it is connected to real tasks, career opportunities and business priorities. He called on organizations to build role-based learning that combines short lessons with hands-on practice, coaching, assessment and application in live work, and on managers to create time for learning, offer stretch opportunities and recognize employees for using new skills rather than simply for completing content.
This approach underpins Accenture LearnVantage, a $1 billion global investment in learning and training services that helps organizations build technology, data and AI skills through learning strategy, personalized journeys, academies, certifications and managed learning services.
“AI is changing too quickly for learning to remain a one-time even”,” Alanqar said.
Skills-Based Talent Models
Alanqar also pointed to internal talent marketplaces and skills-based workforce models as key levers for organizational agility, allowing leaders to deploy talent based on capability rather than relying solely on job titles, business units or external hiring. He said the approach works best when supported by a clear skills framework, reliable skills data, transparent opportunities and active manager support, describing it as a shift that changes how work is staffed, how careers develop and how leaders plan the workfo—ce — not simply a technology platform.
From Experimentation to Enterprise Execution
Reflecting on the workforce and talent trends emerging from LEAP 2026, Alanqar identified three key themes: a shift in the regional conversation from AI experimentation to enterprise execution; continuous, role-based skilling becoming a business capability rather than an HR initiative; and sovereign AI emerging as much as a talent and leadership issue as a technology one.
Accenture's new Middle East sovereign AI research found that 60% of regional executives describe their country's approach to AI as highly sovereign, compared with 32% globally. However, 62% of regional executives said local sovereign AI solutions still lag global hyperscalers in capability and maturity.
“The message is clear: the region has built strong foundations, and now capability must c”tch up,” said“Alanqar. “Organizations should connect every major AI investment to a workforce plan, a skills plan and a clear busin”ss outcome.”
What Will Set Leaders Apart
Looking ahead, Alanqar said the organizations that succeed in reinventing their workforce for the AI era will be those that treat the effort as a continuous business discipline: starting with the value they want to create, redesigning work around people and AI, building the required skills, and setting clear accountability for outcomes. He added that successful organizations will also use skills data and internal mobility to redeploy people quickly as priorities change.
Organizations that struggle, by contrast, tend to separate technology from talent, rely on generic training, or delay workforce changes until every answer is known, he said.
“Across Saudi Arabia, we are seeing a new approach take shape: AI innovation hubs, sovereign technology collaborations and large-scale skilling initiatives are bringing technology, talent and operating-model change togethe”,” Alanqar sa“d. “The organizations that lead will be those that can learn, adapt and reinvent continu”usly.”
About Accenture
Accenture helps t’e world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 799,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $70 billion in FY25 revenue. Visit us at accenture.com.

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