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As the Middle East continues its rapid economic transformation, procurement leaders are at the forefront of this change, driving innovation and aligning their strategies with ambitious national goals like Saudi Vision 2030. This was the central theme at the recently concluded 100 CPO Riyadh 2025, a premier event that brought together senior procurement executives to discuss the future of the function. Hosted by 3novex, the event highlighted how the region is moving from traditional cost-focused procurement to strategic, digital-first models that emphasize value creation, resilience, and collaboration.

Evolving Role of Procurement in the Middle East

Among the standout moments was the insightful session by Carl Kimball, Regional VP, APAC & ME at Zycus, who shared his perspectives on the evolving role of procurement in the Middle East. The session covered how the region’s procurement leaders are shifting from transactional buying to becoming strategic value creators, leveraging technology, and focusing on broader business outcomes. The session focused on the priorities for procurement in the Middle Eastern region.

What is the Next Frontier for Procurement in the Middle Eastern Region?

AI-Powered Procurement – From predictive analytics to autonomous sourcing, AI is rapidly moving from exploration to execution. There is a need for procurement leaders to embrace AI for better decision-making, efficiency gains, and cost savings.
Localization and Economic Diversification – In line with initiatives like Saudi Vision 2030, there’s a strong push to localize supply chains, support domestic suppliers, and build resilient, self-reliant economies. This approach not only reduces risk but also aligns procurement with national economic goals.
Risk Resilience and Agility – The Middle East’s procurement leaders are increasingly focused on building adaptable frameworks that can weather global disruptions, reduce operational risks, and support long-term business continuity.

How Zycus is Leading the Way

At Zycus, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this transformation, helping organizations in the Middle East embrace these critical priorities with our Merlin Agentic Procurement Platform—a cutting-edge suite of AI-powered digital agents that are redefining how procurement teams operate:

Autonomous Sourcing & Contracting – Intelligent agents automate routine tasks, freeing up time for procurement teams to focus on strategy, supplier innovation, and value creation.
Enhanced Visibility & Insights – With real-time dashboards and predictive analytics, procurement leaders can make faster, data-backed decisions, reducing uncertainty and enhancing supplier performance.
Supplier Empowerment – Built-in SRM capabilities make it easy to evaluate, develop, and collaborate with local suppliers, aligning with regional economic goals and fostering stronger, more resilient supply chains.

Looking Ahead

As 100 CPO Riyadh 2025 highlighted, procurement in the Middle East is stepping into a new era—one defined by innovation, resilience, and strategic impact. We’re excited about what’s next for the Middle East region and look forward to partnering with forward-thinking procurement teams ready to lead the way.

Explore how Zycus can support your procurement transformation journey in the Middle East: Contact Us . Interested in watching how AI agents work? Register for our upcoming webinar, where we cover a live demo on Agentic AI solutions.

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Zycus

Zycus is a leader in Cognititive Procurement. A leading SaaS platform used by many large enterprises across the globe for enabling efficiency and effectiveness of the procurement function.