RIYADH: Saudi artificial intelligence firm Shaffra has helped businesses save up to 800,000 work hours through AI-powered project management this year, as companies across the Kingdom begin integrating autonomous digital employees into their operations.
The Riyadh-based startup is also deploying AI recruiters that conduct approximately 15,000 to 20,000 interviews, while its AI call center services handle between 7,000 and 8,000 calls daily, according to CEO and co-founder Alharith Al-Atawi.
In an interview with Arab News, Al-Atawi said the company is working with several Saudi businesses and government entities to deploy AI employees across recruitment, customer service, human resources and project management, although enterprise-wide adoption remains at an early stage.
“While this is an important first step, the greater opportunity lies in integrating AI employees across internal business functions and making them part of how organisations operate every day,” he said, referring to the growing use of AI-powered customer service.
The developments come as Saudi Arabia marks 2026 as its Year of Artificial Intelligence, reinforcing the technology’s role in economic diversification under Vision 2030.
According to the General Authority for Statistics, AI adoption among Saudi businesses reached 33.1 percent in 2025, up from 27.6 percent in 2024. The information and communications sector led at 61.1 percent, followed by financial and insurance activities at 52.9 percent.
