The Regional Edition of the “Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA)” is now in the Middle East
Roland Berger Middle East, in partnership with The Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, Microsoft Arabia, and Shurfah Holding, has announced the launch of the regional edition of the Microsoft Intelligent Manufacturing Award (MIMA) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — one of the world’s most prestigious awards recognizing digital innovation in the industrial sector.
The Kingdom’s industrial sector is undergoing a transformative digital shift aligned with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030, shaping a new era of competitiveness, innovation, and technological advancement.
Hosting the first regional edition of MIMA in the Middle East marks a pivotal milestone in supporting local innovation, accelerating the adoption of intelligent industrial solutions, and strengthening Saudi Arabia’s leadership in this field on both the regional and global levels.
Commenting on the launch, Marc Bayer, Director at Roland Berger Middle East highlighted that MIMA, which has set benchmarks for excellence over the past six years in Europe by transforming industrial innovation into measurable impact, will now serve as a leading platform to showcase the strength and global relevance of Saudi Arabia’s industrial sector.
He added that the award is more than a recognition of excellence — it is a launchpad for Saudi innovators to redefine the future of intelligent manufacturing and an opportunity to position the Kingdom as a global leader in this rapidly evolving field.
Zainab Alamin, VP National Digital Transformation, Microsoft Arabia, remarked: “Saudi Arabia’s manufacturing sector is rapidly evolving, fuelled by the transformative power of AI and cloud technology. At Microsoft, we’re committed to driving this progress—empowering manufacturers with secure, scalable cloud solutions and cutting-edge AI to unlock new levels of productivity and innovation. Bringing MIMA to the Kingdom amplifies our mission to elevate local champions, enabling Saudi manufacturers to shine globally and accelerate the shift to Industry 4.0. Together, we’re shaping the future of intelligent manufacturing and advancing Saudi Arabia’s vision to lead in digital industrial excellence.”
Adding to this, Eng. Muntaser Kalahji, Supervisory Board Member of MIMA EMEA, President and COO of Shurfah Holding, explained that MIMA embodies the spirit of Saudi innovation in smart manufacturing and represents a pivotal milestone in the Kingdom’s industrial journey.
As one of the sector’s key enablers, Shurfah Holding expressed its pride in supporting this initiative, which not only celebrates excellence but also drives the adoption of advanced technologies, highlights the Kingdom’s industrial capabilities, and accelerates Saudi Arabia’s path toward regional manufacturing leadership.
The launch of MIMA in Saudi Arabia reflects the Kingdom’s growing status as a regional hub for industrial innovation. With the industrial sector contributing approximately 10–12% of GDP — equivalent to SAR 427 billion (USD 114 billion) in 2024 — and the non-oil economy surpassing 53% of GDP, the Kingdom continues to lead efforts in economic diversification and digital transformation. Saudi Vision 2030 aims to raise this share to 65% by 2030, highlighting the pivotal role of the industrial sector in driving national development.
This milestone builds on the award’s six-year legacy of success in Germany and across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), where it has cemented its reputation as one of the world’s foremost industrial innovation awards — often referred to as the “Oscars of Industry.” The new regional edition aims to highlight best practices in adopting AI, cloud computing, and Fourth Industrial Revolution solutions, and to accelerate their deployment across industries such as manufacturing, construction, automotive, and industrial value chains. This will enhance the region’s industrial competitiveness and support the transformation toward intelligent manufacturing.
Applications are open for small, medium, and large industrial companies across the Kingdom until 12 November 2025 through a dedicated online portal. The winner will automatically qualify to compete in the EMEA edition of the award, representing Saudi Arabia at the regional level, and will be officially recognised at the Industrial Transformation conference in Riyadh.
For more information about award categories and the application process, please visit https://www.rolandberger.com/en/Insights/Publications/Microsoft-Intelligent-Manufacturing-Award-(MIMA)-2025-Middle-East-Edition.html
Previous editions of MIMA in Europe have showcased groundbreaking advancements in predictive quality control and digital industrial transformation. In the 2025 edition alone, 16 finalists and 6 winners were recognized for pioneering innovations ranging from self-operating production lines to AI-powered supply chain optimization.
Among them were ZEISS with real-time integration of measurement operations, Philip Morris with smart factory engineering, and Continental Automotive with generative AI in engineering design — demonstrating the tangible impact of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies across sectors. This legacy now paves the way for innovators in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East to showcase their achievements on both regional and global stages.
