logo
TASC slashes Tech Hiring Time in Saudi Arabia with launch of Tech Vertical AIQU

TASC slashes Tech Hiring Time in Saudi Arabia with launch of Tech Vertical AIQU

Khaleej Times12 hours ago
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 is driving a significant surge in demand for technology talent, especially in AI and machine learning. However, many companies face challenges such as lengthy hiring processes, high costs, and limited flexibility, which cause delays that put critical digital projects at risk. Overcoming these obstacles is essential to sustaining the Kingdom's fast-moving digital transformation.
AIQU, powered by workforce solutions provider TASC, builds on its established presence in Saudi Arabia by introducing innovative solutions like Deploy-on-Demand, which is designed to cut tech hiring timelines by up to 50 per cent.
With a proven track record in Tech Talent, Statement of Work, Digital, and Managed Services, AIQU continues to evolve to meet the Kingdom's growing demand for agile workforce solutions. They enable clients to rapidly fill specialised roles while handling iqama, payroll, compliance, and onboarding, providing pre-verified talent ready to deploy within 2 to 6 weeks, compared to the market average of 3 to 6 months. This innovative solution is already supporting public sector digital programmes, banking and fintech transformations, global consultancies, and rapidly scaling SAP and ERP projects across the country.
Industries such as cloud computing, AI, and cybersecurity are expanding faster than available talent can keep pace, creating an urgent tech crunch in Saudi Arabia. Roles like cloud architects, SAP consultants, and data engineers are in high demand, but local expertise remains limited. For specialised skills such as OT/ICS security or data governance, the talent gap is even more pronounced. AP consulting roles, for example, have a local talent shortfall of up to 40 per cent.
'Many businesses simply cannot afford the three to six-month hiring cycles associated with conventional recruitment or global system integrators,' says Tim Harlow, head of AIQU. 'Critical transformation projects cannot wait, yet the complexity of the Saudi recruitment market makes speed challenging. Vision 2030's momentum has created an enormous opportunity for organisations able to close their talent gaps quickly.'
System integrators add further cost and complexity with approval processes and onboarding delays, making these models less sustainable. 'Cost, speed, and flexibility are the three pillars every client struggles with. Existing models are too rigid for today's dynamic projects,' Taha Esmail, VP of AIQU added.
AIQU's Deploy-on-Demand model is built to overcome these challenges by offering pre-verified, project-ready tech talent mobilised up to 70 per cent faster than traditional hiring models. Clients submit role requirements tied to project deliverables, and AIQU matches candidates from a continuously refreshed bench of regional and international professionals. The service also manages full onboarding, including iqama, payroll, compliance, and Saudization requirements, ensuring faster time-to-productivity and regulatory alignment.
Beyond speed, AIQU's approach delivers significant cost savings, typically 30 to 50 per cent compared to traditional system integrators, by cutting multilayered consulting overheads and providing transparent pricing. 'Clients want agility. We enable them to scale teams up or down based on project phases without the cost and complexity of long-term headcount commitments,' said Pinky Mistry, VP of AIQU.
AIQU is expanding its pipeline of Arabic-speaking professionals, partnering with local training academies, building offshore development centers and growing its presence across the country.
'Vision 2030's momentum has created a massive opportunity for those who can close talent gaps fast. Our focus is on giving clients the agility they need to keep pace with this transformation,' concludes Tim.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Global smart building market to hit $252bln in 2025, says report
Global smart building market to hit $252bln in 2025, says report

Zawya

time12 minutes ago

  • Zawya

Global smart building market to hit $252bln in 2025, says report

The global market for smart buildings is set to grow by at least 21.8% this year, reaching between $117 billion and $252 billion, thanks to the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and advanced data analytics systems, as well as other technologies, according to Xylem Vue, a secure, integrated and agnostic software and analytics platform. Urban sustainability is steaming ahead globally thanks to the revolution in smart buildings and district heating and cooling (DHC) networks, which aim to streamline resource and energy management in cities. The uptake of technologies such as integrated digital platforms is pivotal to optimizing these systems. Smart buildings continue to redefine efficient resource use and sustainability, it stated. In 2025, the global market is estimated to soar with a compound annual growth rate of between 21.8% and 29.7% (Fortune Business Insights) in core segments such as energy management and security. According to Xylem Vue, this increase is linked to the deployment of technologies such as AI, IoT and advanced data analytics tools. These buildings, which are equipped with information and communication technology-based systems, require integrated digital platforms to manage multiple assets in real time and monitor their performance, from boosting energy efficiency to optimizing the operations of a range of systems, such as lighting, parking, and air conditioning. These emerging solutions for smart buildings include digital twins and energy management systems that optimize resource use and predict maintenance needs, it stated. According to Beatriz Bolonio, Solutions Selling Buildings & Industry at Xylem Vue, combining data via integrated platforms is transforming energy efficiency and paving the way for sustainable cities. These tools help to increase efficiency and reduce operating costs in commercial buildings, which will continue to lead the market with a 53% share in 2025. DHC networks are gaining ground in smart cities In addition, digital platforms are also becoming crucial in efficiently managing thermal energy distribution, as they enable the integration of various renewable energy sources and real-time adaptation to heating and cooling needs in different buildings. According to Xylem Vue, "Platforms are constantly monitored to optimize energy flow, improve operational efficiency, and ensure a rapid response to fluctuations in demand." This year, district heating and cooling (DHC) networks are gaining ground as a solution for reducing emissions and boosting energy efficiency, 'by integrating more and more renewable sources and waste energy recovery systems, thus promoting circular models, stated Xylem Vue. In addition, the benefits of DHC networks include a smaller operational footprint and reduced maintenance costs, positioning them as a key component of smart cities.- TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (

Smart planning is the key to solving traffic congestion as the UAE grows
Smart planning is the key to solving traffic congestion as the UAE grows

The National

time19 minutes ago

  • The National

Smart planning is the key to solving traffic congestion as the UAE grows

As Dubai's skyline stretches ever higher and its population surges steadily upwards, its roads increasingly show the signs of this extraordinary growth. As many metropolises have discovered, living in a city on the move can often mean spending a large amount of time in stationary traffic. While congestion on the roads may be avvvvn inevitable symptom of societal boom times, it can nonetheless bear a heavy cost for everyone. In public-messaging campaigns, the focus is often on safety; it is well-established that congestion can lead to accidents. But there is a range of other – often very expensive – externalities. Congestion reduces the productivity of the labour force, inflates transport costs (and, by extension, the price of other services and goods) and increases carbon emissions from idle exhaust fumes. There is also a mental toll: last year, Dubai drivers lost nearly a day and a half of time that could have been spent doing other things sitting instead in unusually high traffic. Few cities, moreover, have grown as quickly as Dubai, where the population has doubled in the past 15 years. Nearby Abu Dhabi, for its part, has grown by 50 per cent in the past decade, with 7.5 per cent population growth last year alone. In the Northern Emirates, a host of development projects are expected to raise investment and resident numbers in the coming years. Consequently, authorities have had to plan quickly to ensure that transport infrastructure can keep up. In recent weeks, an ambitious portfolio of projects and planning initiatives has been announced to that end. This week, the UAE unveiled a Dh750 million ($204 million) expansion of Emirates Road, a key artery linking Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The project, announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, will add three lanes in each direction across a 16-kilometre stretch, boosting the road's capacity to 12,000 vehicles per hour and offering relief to hundreds of thousands of daily commuters. Last year, Dubai drivers lost nearly a day and a half of time that could have been spent doing other things The announcement came on the heels of another major investment: a Dh633 million ($172 million) plan to upgrade roads in Dubai's financial district. The project will cut congestion on one of the city's busiest routes, the portion of Al Mustaqbal Street stretching from Zabeel Palace Street to Financial Centre Street, via three tunnels, a bridge and a lane-expansion. The result will be a better commuter experience for thousands of people who move in and out of Downtown Dubai every day. These projects are part of a wider constellation of efforts towards integrated urban planning to future-proof the country. The UAE is increasingly leveraging technology, data and design to not only manage congestion but also enhance safety and sustainability. Smart traffic signals, dynamically priced toll roads, improved pedestrian zones and the development of public transit networks are all part of this strategy. Solving the problem of congestion is not easy. But the tools UAE cities are using to tackle it are the right ones. And the level of investment being pumped into transport infrastructure provides plenty of cause for optimism that the way ahead is clear.

Saudi Arabia's property market offers promise of reliable returns for global investors
Saudi Arabia's property market offers promise of reliable returns for global investors

The National

time29 minutes ago

  • The National

Saudi Arabia's property market offers promise of reliable returns for global investors

Global investors are now sizing up the profit returns from Saudi Arabia's real estate market, as the kingdom's once closed-off sector will soon be accessible. Interest has peaked, especially as opportunities to buy into megaprojects such as Neom's The Line, Oxagon and Diriyah are expected. On July 8, the Saudi cabinet approved the Law of Real Estate Ownership and Investment by Non-Saudis, replacing a framework from 2000 and formally opening designated zones across the kingdom, including Riyadh and Jeddah, to foreign ownership from January 2026. This sweeping reform aligns with the kingdom's Vision 2030 target to diversify the economy, boost foreign direct investment and expand real estate supply, while protecting sovereign interests through controlled zone designations. Foreign investors are probably asking what type of return on investment they could receive given the kingdom's activity, and the potential is promising. How ready is the market? Following publication in the official gazette, the Real Estate General Authority must publish implementing regulations on the Istitlaa platform within 180 days. It has time to define zones open to foreign buyers and prescribe approval processes. The Ministry of Investment will streamline foreign investment approvals and the Ministry of Interior will integrate land-registry data with security protocols. Together, these institutions must co-ordinate licensing, title registration and compliance checks to launch transactional platforms by the start of 2026. Saudi Arabia's government has demonstrated capacity for rapid digital roll-outs, exemplified by e-government portals and integrated identity systems, suggesting core registry upgrades can be delivered on schedule. Moreover, existing permissions already enabled foreign citizens to invest indirectly – for example, through Premium Residency, licensed developers, or real estate funds – creating precedents for a more structured regime, but the main hurdles could involve: Regulatory consultation, by compressing public comment cycles to meet the 180-day deadline. IT integration, by updating national land registries to handle new ownership categories and cross-border title verification. A financing ecosystem, which would need to be adapted, especially the mortgage frameworks for foreign buyers that will include risk and compliance protocols. With Vision 2030's political backing, a January 2026 activation is credible. Advancing to an April 2026 operational window will depend on top-level prioritisation of the law and dedicated interministerial task forces. Global market comparison This move by Saudi Arabia feels very much like Dubai did back in 2002, when it opened certain areas for foreign ownership. With the reforms of the country also making headlines, now would be a great time for any investor to get in early and benefit from capital appreciation of real estate as the market opens further. All of this will of course take time, as Dubai has shown, the period needed for the real estate market to lead to maturity takes time. Notwithstanding this, I think Saudi Arabia and its investors are in a great position to benefit from this move going forward. Global investors with their eyes on Saudi Arabia must consider local returns against Gulf and global benchmarks. In the fourth quarter of 2024, Saudi Arabia's real estate price index rose 3.6 per cent year-on-year, led by a 10.2 per cent price surge in Riyadh and 4.6 per cent in Najran. Meanwhile, rental markets remain strong. Riyadh yields average 8.89 per cent and Jeddah 7.89 per cent gross annually. If we were to compare Saudi Arabia with the UAE, the US and the UK, Dubai delivers rental yields between 5 per cent and 11 per cent, buoyed by robust demand in mixed-use and luxury segments and the golden visa programme. The US's average gross rental yield is 6.68 per cent as of the second quarter of 2025, with high-yield cities such as Detroit exceeding 20 per cent. The UK average buy-to-let gross yield stands at 5.60 per cent, with cities including Sunderland and Aberdeen offering yields above 8 per cent. Saudi Arabia's combination of double-digit yields and mid-single-digit price appreciation positions it competitively within the Gulf and many western markets. More needed Real estate market maturity marked by liquidity, transparency and global investor confidence will take time as has been shown in the UAE, but as long as Saudi Arabia build the below, it should be well on its way to maturity in the years to come. Secondary market depth will be needed by launching real estate investment trusts and collective investment schemes to deepen capital pools and improve liquidity. Valuation standards will need to be upgraded by establishing independent appraisal bodies and aligning with IFRS 13 for fair-value reporting. Legal and dispute resolution will also require upgrading, by expanding specialised real estate courts and arbitration centres to protect investor rights. Financing and securitisation will need to be more competitive by developing covered-bond and mortgage-securitisation markets to diversify funding and lower borrowing costs. These enhancements, while not prerequisites for the January 2026 opening, will be essential for evolving from a frontier to a mature market akin to the UK and US over several years. The opening of Saudi Arabia's real estate market is one of the most consequential investment gateways in the region since the UAE did the same more than 20 years ago. Regulatory foundations appear on track for January 2026, with an April 2026 operational window possible, if expedited. Early market metrics, robust price growth and high rental yields will underscore strong growth potential. But full maturation will depend on continued reforms in liquidity, transparency and financing infrastructure. For global investors, Saudi Arabia offers frontier-market yields with the promise of a reliable long-term destination as institutional frameworks deepen under the Vision 2030 initiative.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store