Saudi Arabia is accelerating its transition from a technology consumer to a producer by leveraging local talent and building a domestic digital ecosystem. This was highlighted with the inauguration of NextEra, a Saudi IT company, at its headquarters in the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD). Formed through a strategic partnership between Aramco Digital and LTIMindtree, NextEra aims to blend international expertise with local talent to deliver solutions across various sectors in the Kingdom.
Commitment to Localization
At the launch event, NextEra underscored its long-term dedication to growth that prioritizes the localization of technology and digital solutions. Executives speaking to Arab News emphasized that fostering innovation, creating local career opportunities, and ensuring digital sovereignty are central to NextEra's strategy in Saudi Arabia.
Nabil Al-Nuaim on Talent Development
Nabil Al-Nuaim, CEO of Aramco Digital, highlighted that building local talent is a core driver of NextEra's transformation. He pointed to universities as key sources of human capital that can achieve the goals set by NextEra, Aramco Digital, and the broader Saudi digital ecosystem. Al-Nuaim stressed the importance of young talent and integrating localized innovation into local companies. "Once NextEra or other companies have centers close to universities, you are very close to the talents," he said, adding that this approach also offers cost-effectiveness. He further noted that "there will be entrepreneurs coming out from companies like NextEra that will start their own companies."
Al-Nuaim emphasized that fostering entrepreneurial skills and tools is crucial for transforming the Kingdom from a consumer to a producer. "We are bringing talents to help in NextEra, hoping that some of them will exit and start their own companies... this is where you shift from being only a consumer to a producer," he explained, adding that this process extends beyond a single company to the entire ecosystem.
Digital Sovereignty and Local Talent
A key topic in technology discussions is digital sovereignty. Al-Nuaim linked this to the localization of digital talent, asserting that managing digital sovereignty—such as data storage, building digital platforms, and operating AI in line with national regulations—should be handled by local professionals.
Dina Abo-Onoq's Vision
Dina Abo-Onoq, NextEra's CEO, shares Al-Nuaim's motivations as she leads a company focused on creating locally developed, reliable Saudi digital solutions. NextEra exemplifies alignment with Vision 2030's long-term digital transformation goals by providing local support to growing sectors through Saudi talent. On digital localization, Abo-Onoq explained the strategies behind NextEra's objectives: "We are bringing the global expertise and doing the knowledge transfer, we are hiring a big amount of Saudi fresh graduates, mid-level, senior-level, so we are bringing global expertise and translating it in Saudi Arabia."
Abo-Onoq outlined the prioritized sectors for NextEra: "Government and giga projects are number one, number two is banking and insurance, number three oil and gas manufacturers, last but not least, entertainment and tourism."
As Saudi Arabia's domestic technology ecosystem expands, its ability to provide solutions and security to leading industries is bolstered by the development of local talent. NextEra's launch marks a significant step in this progression, linking local expertise from Aramco Digital with international capabilities from LTIMindtree.
