Riyadh - Sharikat Mubasher: Salesforce, a pioneering provider of AI-powered customer relationship management (CRM) solutions based in the US, plans to open a regional headquarters (RHQ) in Riyadh this year to expand its presence in Saudi Arabia.
This announcement was made at the Saudi House at the World Economic Forum during an official event hosted by the Minister of Investment Khalid Al Falih, the Minister of Communications and Information Technology Abdullah Alswaha, and the Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb, according to the company’s recent press release.
Salesforce further plans to open an AI Center of Excellence (CoE) in the Saudi Capital, in partnership with IBM. It pledged to provide upskilling opportunities to 30,000 Saudi citizens by 2030.
Through this expansion, Salesforce will enable customers like Almosafer, Red Sea Global, and Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) to benefit from its local expertise, and will help businesses and the public sector in the Kingdom drive unprecedented innovation and operational efficiency.
Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce, said: “We’re excited to expand our presence in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East region and help drive innovation, enhance productivity, and support key digital transformation initiatives with our Agentforce digital labor platform.”
For his part, Al Falih stated that Salesforce’s decision to open regional headquarters and establish a CoE in Riyadh marks a milestone in Saudi Arabia’s journey toward becoming a global hub for investment in technology.
Meanwhile, Alswaha commented: “This partnership strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as the largest digital economy in the Middle East, home to the region’s biggest tech talent pool, and a global hub for innovation. Through this partnership, we are building a sustainable future by empowering our youth, fostering entrepreneurship, and offering businesses a gateway to markets across continents."
It is worth mentioning that Salesforce will welcome Mohammed Alkhotani as the newly appointed Senior Vice President of the Middle East, where he will oversee regional strategy, operations, partnerships, and customer engagement.