Global management consulting firm Kearney has signed a partnership with Microsoft in the Middle East & Africa, with the aim to accelerating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) rollout and adoption across the region.
The partnership comes at a time of peak demand for AI services, with nearly 70% of CEOs viewing AI and generative AI as transformative to their businesses. Despite the appetite, AI adoption is still far from maturity, with fewer than 40% of companies in the Middle East having implemented AI at scale with tangible results, and only 40% confident that they have the capabilities needed to successfully implement AI.
This execution gap is precisely where Kearney and Microsoft want to make an impact. A statement from both companies reads, “Kearney brings the strategic clarity, execution capabilities, operating model design, and responsible governance needed to move AI from boardroom vision to enterprise reality, while Microsoft enables scalable, secure adoption through its trusted cloud and AI platforms.”
“We’re incredibly excited about this partnership,” said Mauricio Zuazua, Senior Partner and Region Chair, Kearney Middle East & Africa. “We’re doubling down on our ability to bring AI to scale for our clients and the broader market – building on the foundation of our AI labs and execution capabilities. Now, with Microsoft, we’re completing the stack and unlocking the potential to deliver truly end-to-end AI solutions.”
Ahmad Hamzawy, Chief Partnership Officer at Microsoft in the UAE, added: “At Microsoft, we believe that AI has the power to transform industries and societies when deployed responsibly and at scale. Our collaboration with Kearney is rooted in a shared vision to bridge the gap between ambition and execution – helping organizations across the Middle East move from AI experimentation to real-world impact.”
From strategy to execution
As part of their collaboration, Kearney and Microsoft are working on developing sector-specific AI strategies, frameworks, and infrastructure, to address challenges in critical industries including public sector, manufacturing, and financial services.
The deal between the two US-headquartered companies is aligned with national strategies in the region. Saudi Arabia’s National Strategy for Data & AI, launched by SDAIA under Vision 2030, outlines ambitious targets for 2030 – including positioning the Kingdom among the world’s top 15 AI nations, training over 20,000 AI specialists, fostering around 300 startups, and attracting approximately SAR 75 billion in investments.
Similarly, Abu Dhabi’s Digital Strategy 2025–2027 anticipates that AI-driven initiatives will contribute over AED 24 billion to GDP and generate more than 5,000 new jobs by 2027.
“Across the region, we’re seeing bold ambition to lead in AI, but intent alone isn’t enough – there is a strong need for execution capabilities,” said Elias Aad, Senior Partner for Digital & Entrepreneurship at Kearney. “Many organizations remain stuck in pilot mode, uncertain how to implement, scale or unlock measurable impact.”
“Kearney’s approach has always been rooted in turning insight into action – ensuring strategy delivers tangible, enduring value.”
Sourced from Consultancy-me.com