Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: - Publicis Groupe Middle East, a regional leader in marketing, communications and digital business transformation has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI), a wholly owned entity of the Public Investment Fund (PIF), aimed at advancing and accelerating transformative solutions across the Kingdom and wider region. 

To mark this partnership, a signing ceremony took place at LEAP 2024 in the presence of Nigel Vaz, CEO of Publicis Sapient and member of the Directoire+ (Executive Committee) of Publicis Groupe, Bassel Kakish, CEO of Publicis Groupe Middle East, and Abdullah AlJawini, Chief Investment and Partnerships Officer of SCAI.

Commenting on the partnership, Nigel Vaz said, “We are very excited to announce Publicis Groupe’s collaboration with the Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI). Artificial intelligence is poised to reshape how we work, how we live, and how we create value. The Kingdom has been on an incredible journey to transform every facet of its society by putting technology at the service of its citizens and businesses. Our partnership with SCAI is the next step at ensuring that transformation has AI at its core, creating new opportunities in KSA and the region.” 

Bassel Kakish also added, “By combining SCAI's expertise in AI with Publicis Groupe Middle East's capabilities backed by data and technology, we are poised to unlock exciting new opportunities and realise the full potential of AI in transforming the Kingdom. This partnership represents a significant step towards driving meaningful impact and delivering value to our clients and communities.”

Abdullah AlJawini, Chief Investment and Partnerships Officer of SCAI said "We are thrilled to join forces with Publicis Groupe Middle East to harness the power of AI and drive innovation by combining our expertise. This collaboration represents a key milestone in our unwavering commitment to shaping the future of AI applications in Saudi Arabia."

The collaboration between Publicis Groupe Middle East and SCAI represents a pivotal step towards driving digital transformation and unlocking new opportunities that deliver impactful solutions at scale. Through this strategic collaboration, the two entities aim to leverage their combined expertise to drive significant AI-powered advancements across various domains including digital business transformation with Publicis Sapient; and adtech, lifestyle & loyalty with Epsilon’s real identity capabilities.

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About Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey

Publicis Groupe Middle East & Turkey (ME&T) is a regional leader in marketing, communication, and digital business transformation. Through its world-class brands and the ability to architect, build and orchestrate end-to-end solutions, Publicis Groupe ME&T is uniquely positioned to help clients unlock growth in the platform world through the intersection of data, creativity, media and technology. Headquartered in Dubai, UAE but present across eight markets across the Middle East and North Africa, Publicis Groupe ME&T brings together 3,600 minds with expertise in data, technology, media, strategy, creativity and business transformation. 

For more information, please visit: www.publicisgroupe.com

About SCAI:

The Saudi Company for Artificial Intelligence (SCAI) is a wholly owned Public Investment Fund (PIF) company. SCAI was launched to support the fund’s strategic goals by driving innovation in the AI and emerging technologies sectors. The company delivers impactful solutions at scale that solve complex challenges, accelerate growth, and drive positive business outcomes. Guided by a vision to lead the next generation of AI applications and unlock global value, the company acts as a national AI champion in the kingdom, shaping the future of AI through best-in-class partnerships, targeted investments, and the development of world-class capabilities. These efforts aim to position the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a globally competitive hub for advanced technologies.

For further details about SCAI, please visit www.scai.sa

For media inquiries, reach out to us via media@scai.sa