• The Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) is undertaking an important and ambitious multi-phase digital transformation across the Kingdom in order to turn Saudi Arabia into a leading industrial powerhouse.

• As part of its Industry 4.0 strategy, MODON is now partnering with GE Digital to build and deploy Digital Transformation Roadmaps for twenty factories across a variety of vertical sectors. The solution was officially announced on the 18^th of November, 2019 at the  Future Factory Show.

• More information on MODON and GE Digital’s work can be found in the white paper by analyst firm IDC “Factory Digitization in Saudi Arabia – A Transformative Journey Begins”.

Since 2001, the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones (MODON) has worked to modernize the Kingdom’s industrial economy by fusing private sector investment with public sector projects. MODON’s work is a key part of Saudi’s 2030 Vision to transform the nation into a leading industrial powerhouse and global logistics hub, with an emphasis on diversifying into sectors outside of oil and energy. The organization oversees over 3,500 factories and is involved in the development, operations and maintenance of industrial facilities throughout the vast country.

Earlier this year, MODON and GE Digital launched the national productivity program with the objective to support 20 selected factories located in MODON Industrial cities with their digital transformation journey. The MODON and GE Digital team are building Digital Transformation Blueprints that will analyze each factory’s current state, and then develop roadmaps based on the Industrial Transformation Readiness Maturity Model, in sync with set business objectives. An integral part of this initiative is a “shadowing plan” for the MODON team. This plan will provide on-the-job-training, helping team members build their own internal digital capabilities.

“This project is pivotal for our goals to evolve Saudi Arabia’s industrial capabilities through digital transformation,” said Eng. Khalid Al-Salem, Director General of MODON. “I see this as a turning point for the Kingdom’s overall economy that will help us diversify beyond oil and energy, building a foundation to become a leader in cutting edge digital capabilities, and sparking more business opportunities across industries in the region.”

“As a result of these efforts, GE Digital has entered the first phase to create Digital Transformation Roadmaps that are scalable and repeatable.” said Mohammed Karime, Regional Vice President, Commercial for GE Digital. “Covering a wide array of industries, we will create roadmaps for 20 factories spanning the steel, food & beverage, metals and packaging sectors. This model can be scaled and applied to other industries and countries in the region and beyond.”

The teams from MODON and GE Digital have been working together over the last twelve months to build a clear and collective understanding of the goals, needs and operations across the 20 factories – creating Digital Roadmaps. This immersion period allowed GE Digital to research and plan for the build out of unique roadmaps to help the businesses assess their digital capabilities and identify their critical next steps. GE Digital’s delivery includes, but is not limited to, a comprehensive Digital Roadmap Report with deep analysis on governance models, digital maturity, transformation readiness, multi-generational planning, and an outcome realization plan.