UAE businesses turning to AI are seeing significant rewards in innovation, efficiency and operations.
A new breed of tech innovators is set to revolutionise the small and medium scale (SME) sector companies in the UAE and the wider MENA region, with their no-code platforms empowering companies to innovate business models and operations without requiring technical teams, leading to massive reductions in operational costs.
The new-age, AI-based tech solutions offered by innovators such as PLATMA promise unmatched advantages in cost savings and efficiency – up to 70 per cent – to SMEs, besides democratising innovations in the sector.
AI in the UAE
The new tech platforms are said to be triggering transformational changes in the sector, with early adopters reporting already reaping the benefits with faster product launches, leaner operations, and more competitive pricing.
“The no-code platforms are akin to Microsoft Office a [couple of] decades ago – not in terms of functionality, of course, but in terms of significance to businesses,” Yaroslav Kologryvov, Founder of PLATMA, told Arabian Business.
“Any business not using MS Office back in the day would have been considered outdated, ineffective, and doomed to fail,” he said.
Kologryvov said a surge in no-code tech adoption is inevitable, and that in the next five years, he foresees the majority of SMEs not just adopting AI and automation, but relying on it as a core part of their business strategy.
“The companies that lag will find themselves struggling to keep pace in an increasingly automated world.”
Sector experts and industry insiders said what the no-code platforms are providing is not just a tech tool, but empowering SMEs to innovate without barriers.
This trend is poised to redefine the business landscape, especially in regions like MENA, where there’s a push for technological advancement alongside rapid economic growth, they said.
Kologryvov, who is also the Chief Business Development Officer (CBDO) of PLATMA, said the future is not just about automating routine tasks, but it’s about unleashing untapped potential and turning ideas into realities at lightning speed.
“As AI continues to evolve, the solutions we’re offering today are only scratching the surface.”
Industry players said the potential savings for SMEs in the UAE which are adopting the new AI-based tech solutions could be colossal.
As against the potential savings on account of automation in routine tasks such as data entry, inventory management, or customer relations where SMEs spend around 30-40 per cent of their operational budgets, the AI-based solutions are targeting massive operational costs reductions to the tune of 60-70 per cent.
“When you factor in the time saved and the quicker turnaround on projects, those numbers can climb even higher. In short, AI accelerates growth in ways that are simply too big to ignore,” the PLATMA founder said.
Kologryvov said the responses from SME companies in the UAE and the wider region to platforms like theirs have been overwhelmingly positive.
“Businesses that were once hesitant to dive into the world of AI are now finding themselves eager to adopt these solutions, especially as they see their competitors thriving,” he said.
He also pointed out that there is a palpable shift in the mindset of SMEs, particularly in the MENA region, where the demand for automation and efficiency has skyrocketed.
“We’re seeing solo entrepreneurs and small teams building solutions that would have required vast technical teams just a few years ago,” the PLATMA founder said.
Industry insiders said while the region is seeing entry of new players in this segment on a continuous basis, even as the existing ones are offering more features at an astonishing speed.
Sector experts said while they expect the scope of features offered by these platforms will enable SMEs to solve more business challenges cheaper and faster, and platforms, in future, will evolve to become more tailored and accessible to any user, regardless of their background or skillset.
The growing traction of the no-code platforms in the region, however, has also raised concerns among a section about large-scale job redundancy in the sector.
Kologryvov, however, said: “I am one of those people who is extremely sceptical about the statement that ‘AI will take away our jobs’.
“I believe traditional software development jobs will transform into becoming more creative and complex, perhaps offering more comprehensive packages of interlinked solutions. Also, platforms allow developers to create and test more MVPs (Minimum Viable Products) faster and cheaper, so I believe we will see more interesting and outstanding apps and software in no time,” he said.
“But rest assured – while AI can take away the routine, it will never replace the agility and creativity of the human mind,” the PLATMA founder said.
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