u/akmohmnd

Two years ago, pitching AI or blockchain here meant explaining the basics first. Now clients show up already knowing what they want — sometimes more specific than we expect.

What's changed on the ground in Riyadh:

* RFPs now *require* AI, not just allow it
* Real demand for Arabic-first AI, not translated English tools
* Blockchain interest in logistics — less hype, more "can this cut our reconciliation time"
* A widening gap between demand and teams who can actually ship, not just demo

The opportunity isn't chasing hype. It's being the team that delivers when a ministry or company says "we're serious about this."

Building in the Kingdom? Curious — is demand outpacing talent, or are we still early?

Two years ago, pitching AI or blockchain here meant explaining the basics first. Now clients show up already knowing what they want — sometimes more specific than we expect.

What's changed on the ground in Riyadh:

• RFPs now require AI, not just allow it
• Real demand for Arabic-first AI, not translated English tools
• Blockchain interest in logistics — less hype, more "can this cut our reconciliation time"
• A widening gap between demand and teams who can actually ship, not just demo

The opportunity isn't chasing hype. It's being the team that delivers when a ministry or company says "we're serious about this."

Building in the Kingdom? Curious — is demand outpacing talent, or are we still early?

I've noticed a pattern over the past few months: the AI integrations that actually survive past the pilot phase aren't chatbots or content generators. They're the quiet, unglamorous systems running in the background.

A few examples that keep coming up:

* Automated QA catching regressions before a human ever reviews the code
* Triage systems that route support tickets or leads based on actual context, not brittle keyword rules
* Anomaly detection sitting quietly inside ops dashboards, only speaking up when something's genuinely off

None of this makes for an exciting product demo. But it's the kind of work that outlasts the "let's try AI" phase and becomes just... how a team operates. No fanfare, no launch post, just fewer fires to put out.

It feels like the industry is slowly shifting from "what can AI generate" to "what can AI quietly take off someone's plate." Curious whether others here are seeing the same shift — what's the most unglamorous AI use case you've come across that actually delivered real, lasting value?

Riyadh, it is currently 47°C outside and approximately -12°C in my motivation levels. I don't need advice. I don't need a routine. I need one (1) aggressively strong coffee and permission to disappear for 48 hours like I'm updating my system firmware.

Send me:

• The strongest, most unreasonable coffee spot you know of
• Zero life advice
• Zero "have you tried journaling"
• Zero "drink water instead" — I am the dehydrated

Just tell me where the coffee hits like a deadline email at 11:58 pm and let me pretend today didn't happen. 🫡☕

Six months in Riyadh as a software engineer, and I keep noticing the same thing: paper logs, WhatsApp for orders, Excel instead of real systems, even with all the talk around digital transformation here.

Curious what others think:

1. Business owners — is it cost, trust, or just not a priority?
2. Tech folks — are you seeing the same thing, or is it just the sectors I'm exposed to?
3. Is this shifting with younger owners/managers?

Genuinely want the fuller picture from people who've been here longer.

I’m new here. Any good coffee spots you’d recommend?
I tried Volume last time, but it wasn’t really my vibe 😐
Most of the time I’m just looking for a cozy place where I can sit with my laptop and get some work done—I’m a software engineer, so good coffee, Wi-Fi, and a nice atmosphere are all I need.