The Next Growth Wave in Saudi Arabia's Customer Experience (CX) Sector

Learn how global companies like ibex and Flying Bisons are expanding in the Kingdom’s CX sector.

In every industry, organizations are becoming aware that exceptional customer experience (CX) is no longer an option but essential for gaining a competitive edge. Vision 2030's digital transformation initiatives are the primary impetus for demands for scalable, intelligent solutions for customer engagement.

For foreign companies specializing in customer experience, digital consulting, and CX technology, Saudi Arabia offers a strategic opportunity for global corporations to capitalize on the country's expanding IT infrastructure, rapidly digitizing economy, and enormous consumer base.

Unraveling Saudi's Customer Experience (CX) Economy

Vision 2030 has accelerated digital adoption across all sectors of the economy, from telecom, retail, e-commerce, banking, healthcare, logistics, and hospitality.

Companies are waking up to the economic imperative of investing heavily in improving customer experience to capture market share in the Kingdom's growing consumer economy. On the other hand, consumers now seek seamless, tailored interactions and seamless transitions between digital and physical touchpoints.

The government's emphasis on digitization has set new standards for user experience. Perhaps what fuels advancements in the customer experience space is the booming e-commerce sector in Saudi Arabia, which has created demand for sophisticated customer journey optimization, as businesses are rapidly moving from traditional call centers to cloud-based, AI-powered customer interaction platforms through Contact Center as a Service adoption.

Related read: ​​Setting up an E-commerce Business in Saudi Arabia: Procedures, Regulations and More

This shift toward advanced CX technologies is reinforced by substantial demand for CCaaS solutions that can foster trust in each interaction.

The next wave of growth typically lies in CX emotional design, moving beyond traditional transactions to make people feel understood, valued, and heard. This shift helps turn business transactions into long-standing relationships with customers that last for years, placing an emphasis on intelligent automation that creates a balanced approach to customer experience between speed, efficiency, and empathy.

CX consulting services are in high demand for customer journey mapping, digital transformation strategy, service design, and CX measurement and optimization, as well as brand development and strategy, and technical implementation and integration.

Saudi's CX economy growth roadmap is anchored on upskilling a skilled CX workforce through national initiatives, including the National Academy for Customer Service and the Riyada Customer Service Training Program, both designed to develop local talent to meet growing industry demand.

The combination of skilled talent and advanced technology infrastructure makes Saudi Arabia an ideal location for CX operations serving the Middle East region.

Global CX Leaders Expanding to Saudi Arabia

The region's huge potential as a lucrative market for global companies like ibex to expand their presence and set up businesses in Saudi Arabia.

With over 30,000 employees globally across 34 delivery service centers worldwide, ibex powers nearly 200 million customer interactions annually through its Enteract and Wave X technology platforms. ibex specializes in delivering end-to-end customer experience solutions across multiple industries, including telecom, retail and e-commerce, entertainment, banking and financial services, logistics, healthtech, hospitality, and utilities.

ibex's Saudi expansion, facilitated by AstroLabs, the Gulf's leading business expansion platform, is centered on powering Saudi Arabia's digital infrastructure and skilled workforce to serve both domestic clients and the broader Middle East region.

Another notable player in the CX space is Flying Bisons, a global digital consulting and full-service design agency expanding from Poland, which has established a strategic presence in Riyadh with the help of AstroLabs.

The company's capabilities span UX research, digital strategy, brand development, UX/UI design, technical implementation, and AI integration.

With its entry, Flying Bisons addresses a critical gap in the Saudi market, helping businesses transform their CX experiences while ensuring that transactional stays and journeys are transformed into customer experiences rooted in local insights, culture, and understanding of local nuances.

Major milestones in its journey include the opportunity to work on a public-sector project through a semi-governmental entity as well as a strategic partnership with the Saudi CX Association to enhance the CX experience during businesses' awareness stages. It has also received recognition from the Digital Government Authority.

With Vision 2030 advancing rapidly through the realization of goals, customer experience is a space where international companies can make an impact, expand their foothold, and rapidly gain first-mover advantage.