Q&A: ServiceNow’s role in the Middle East and Africa (MEA)

There’s no understating the opportunity for tech in the Middle East and Africa (MEA). Digital transformation in the region is accelerating at a rapid pace. Many companies are looking to expand and diversify. According to IDC, IT spending in the region will top $238 billion this year, an increase of 4.5% compared to 2023.

At ServiceNow, we’re thrilled to be a part of it. We caught up with Mark Ackerman, area vice president for MEA, to reflect on our role in the region’s tech landscape, the journey so far, and plans for the future.

Talk to us about the MEA tech landscape

The MEA landscape is really blossoming. The IDC research shows spending on public cloud alone will top $13 billion in MEA in 2024—that’s a year-on-year growth of 21%. It’s a staggering figure, and it means technology strategy is now one and the same as business strategy for many organisations.

As a result, organisations are leaning on their tech providers to empower them, to keep them competitive, and to act as strategic business partners. There’s a huge opportunity for both private and public sector companies to drive growth through digital efforts—and just as big an opportunity for us as a tech provider to help them do it.

Where does ServiceNow sit in that landscape?

We’re still a relatively young company in MEA, but we’re growing at an astonishing pace. Since 2013, we’ve grown from one base in South Africa to offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Dubai. Our partner ecosystem supports businesses across the region.

We’ve helped many organisations achieve their goals, and we hit our own significant milestones along the way. We’re preparing to establish a regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, as detailed at LEAP 2024 in Riyadh. We were also recently named Software Innovator of the Year at the edge Technology Leadership Awards.

How does ServiceNow support customers in MEA?

We’re ideally placed to be a strategic partner to organisations in MEA. Customers are already seeing the benefits of the Now Platform. When we started work in the region, we had around 16 customers. That number has grown significantly. Today, we’re supporting organisations across multiple sectors and locations.

Take South African chemical giant Sasol, for example. With the support of ServiceNow, the team at Sasol was able to consolidate all workflows onto a single platform that works for everyone in the organisation. Driving transformation in synergy with Sasol’s senior leadership has been a definite highlight for me.

Other examples of note are the work we’ve done with Dubai Airports and the First Abu Dhabi Bank.

How do you manage such a diverse region?

It’s about listening to customers’ needs and staying adaptable. My goal is to stay aware of the current landscape while navigating the various—and ever-changing—priorities of each market.

Over the past few years, we’ve seen rapid digitisation, stronger democracies, and economic disruption. In MEA, organisations are also reacting to changing priorities in the government, telco, and banking sectors.

We’re continually making sure our solutions and our advice support our customers in the ways they need to be supported at the time, in their specific region. I often say we have to act like chameleons, changing on demand. I think we do a pretty good job at that.

What regional accomplishments are you most proud of?

The 2023 edge Software Innovator of the Year award was certainly a highlight. Being recognised for the work we do in the region is incredibly rewarding. I’ve always maintained there’s genuine value in the Now Platform, so it’s great to see that being acknowledged in the region.

Looking internally, I’m particularly proud of the culture we’ve created here, too. Last year, for example, we became a certified Great Place to Work in UAE. We’re also committed to nurturing and investing in our regional talent. Most of our promotions in the region have been internal, which is a testament to the strength of the team we have in place.

What are your priorities as you look ahead?

There’s a need for us to work more closely to support the public sector across the region. Government agencies need to be able to move quickly without legacy operations or technical debt slowing them down. The ServiceNow® platform can help.
The pace of digitalisation taking place in MEA is incredible. I view it as our job to help organisations make the most of this opportunity. With the right investments, there’s no reason the MEA public sector should lag behind any other region when it comes to providing digital experiences, increasing access to services, or digitalising more internal processes.
With that in mind, boosting the citizen experience will be a huge focus for us. We’re also looking more closely at sectors including banking and finance, telecommunications, and energy and utilities.

What about internal processes and priorities?

Internally, there’s a lot of exciting progress being made in the region. We’re preparing to open a new data centre pair and regional headquarters in Saudi Arabia, and we’ll bring the Now Platform to market in Arabic.

On a personal note, I’m looking forward to keeping up the momentum we’ve already gained—not just for our customers, but for our employees, too. We’ve worked hard, we’ve made our mark in the region, and we’ve created a really great company culture to unite us as we continue on our journey here in the region.

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