A recent Salesforce report highlights that 77% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the UAE believe enhancing the quality of their data would boost revenue, just slightly below the global average of 80%. The report, based on insights from 3,350 SMB leaders across 26 countries, including 75 from the UAE, reveals how SMBs are leveraging AI to fuel growth in an era of rapid technological advancement.
The survey shows that 75% of SMBs globally have either adopted or are experimenting with AI to enhance revenue, productivity, and customer experience. In the UAE, this figure is even higher, with 87% of SMBs exploring or using AI technologies. The most common applications for AI among UAE SMBs include predictive sales forecasting, lead prioritization, and natural language search tools.
While AI adoption is seen as a revenue booster—88% of UAE SMBs agree that it helps increase revenue, compared to 91% globally—many UAE SMB leaders are concerned about falling behind in the AI race. Sixty-four percent of UAE leaders worry their businesses will lag in AI adoption, significantly higher than the 51% of their global counterparts.
As the number of technology solutions grows, SMB leaders are grappling with the challenge of managing their tech stacks. Fifty-seven percent of UAE SMB leaders say keeping up with changing technology is difficult, a concern that is felt more acutely than the global average of 68%. Additionally, 49% of UAE SMB leaders say they lack the time to fully master the tech their companies use, slightly higher than the global figure of 44%.
The growing complexity of AI also raises concerns around trust and security. As consumer confidence in technology wanes, 72% of UAE SMBs would be willing to spend more on tech from trusted vendors, although this is lower than the global average of 81%. The top concerns for UAE SMBs regarding AI include security, ethical issues, and poor integration with existing systems.
“SMBs in the UAE are keen to experiment with AI, aiming to stay ahead of the curve and enhance their operations and customer service. However, like their global peers, many business leaders in the UAE are worried about their ability to keep up with the rapid pace of AI development, particularly around security and ethical issues,” said Thierry Nicault, Area Vice President and General Manager of Salesforce Middle East.
“We are eager to support SMBs in the Middle East, helping them navigate the evolving tech landscape and ensuring AI is deployed in a safe, ethical, and effective manner,” he added.
