MENA’s Early GenAI Adoption Drives Growth: Report

A new report from the Project Management Institute (PMI), reveals that high adopters of Generative AI (GenAI), referred to as “trailblazers,” are leading the charge in embracing this technology. These trailblazers are not only unlocking performance enhancements and advancing GenAI adoption but also believe in sharing their learnings to propel business transformation.

The UAE’s Generative AI market is a rapidly emerging sector, disrupting global economies. Organizations embracing GenAI are already realizing significant benefits in productivity, effectiveness, collaboration, and creativity.

The report, “First Movers’ Advantage: The Immediate Benefits of Adopting Generative AI for Project Management,” surveyed 500 project professionals worldwide, all using GenAI in their project work. Findings show that organizations encouraging GenAI adoption see transformative and positive outcomes:

– Increased Productivity: 93% of trailblazers report higher productivity compared to 58% of low adopters.

– Enhanced Problem-Solving: 89% of trailblazers note improved problem-solving abilities versus 46% of low adopters.

– Boosted Effectiveness: 88% of trailblazers feel more effective compared to 50% of low adopters.

– Strengthened Interpersonal Skills: 83% of trailblazers report enhanced collaboration versus 32% of low adopters, and 84% note increased creativity versus 44% of low adopters.

The use of GenAI has surged, with a study by Microsoft and LinkedIn indicating that 75% of knowledge workers adopted it by the end of 2023, a trend mirrored in PMI’s nearly one-million-member community.

 “Our research shows that GenAI trailblazers know how to maximize adoption to elevate their performance, navigate complex work, and usher in GenAI across their teams. They’re standing out from their peers for their innovative leadership,” said Pierre Le Manh, PMP, President & CEO of PMI. “We want to ensure project professionals who haven’t yet added this technology to their toolbox can quickly get up to speed and benefit from GenAI given its exponential growth.”

Hanny Alshazly, Regional Managing Director for MENA, PMI, added, “The growing significance of GenAI in project management reflects the far-reaching impact of this disruptive technology. The future belongs to the GenAI trailblazers who innovate and embrace its transformative power. At PMI, we’ve experienced firsthand the advantages of incorporating GenAI into our operations. In the rapidly expanding megaprojects and developments in the MENA region, early adoption of GenAI is set to significantly boost our productivity and efficiency.”

Project professionals leading GenAI adoption are building strategic advantages over those still in the initial stages. Trailblazers are mastering prompt engineering, a key to unlocking GenAI’s full potential, and are using GenAI for more complex tasks like data analysis, planning, and risk management. They are also three times more likely to strengthen their skills with GenAI compared to low adopters.

“GenAI is transforming every industry, which will create more opportunities for project professionals because they will help organizations implement this disruptive technology,” said Le Manh. “A key insight from the report is that it’s much harder to accelerate adoption without organizational support. Trailblazers are ten times more likely to work for organizations that empower them to use GenAI. It’s these forward-thinking organizations and their trailblazing project professionals that are seizing this moment and ready to lead the GenAI revolution.”

The UAE’s early adoption of GenAI has positioned it as a global leader, according to PwC Middle East. GCC countries are expected to reap about $23.5 billion in economic benefits by 2030 from investments in generative AI. In Saudi Arabia, the GenAI market is projected to surpass $1 trillion by 2030, growing at a compound annual rate of more than 25%.

PMI, leveraging its global community of nearly one million project professionals, has developed PMI Infinity™, a GenAI tool, and offers specialized training. To further support project professionals, PMI will launch a series of GenAI prompts tailored to various industries. The new curated Prompt Library within PMI Infinity™ will provide a valuable resource for project professionals to develop precise prompts and integrate AI into their workflow effectively.

The MENA region’s early adoption of GenAI is a critical driver of growth and innovation. With PMI’s support and resources, project professionals can harness the transformative power of GenAI, leading their organizations toward a future of enhanced productivity and efficiency.