By Global Consultants Review Team ,
Saudi Arabia is quickly becoming an important market for artificial intelligence, and South Korean AI startup 42Maru is looking to build a stronger presence there.
The company announced on August 31 that it will accelerate its expansion into Saudi Arabia and the wider Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through the K-Tech Service SME and Startup Saudi Partnership Building Support Program, operated by the Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME).
The move comes as businesses and public-sector organisations look for AI systems that can improve productivity while keeping sensitive information secure.
For 42Maru, the opportunity is not simply about selling AI software.
The company is targeting enterprise AI transformation, local partnerships and projects in sectors where data security is particularly important.
42Maru plans to introduce its LLM42 and RAG42 technologies in Saudi Arabia through on-premise and private-cloud deployments.
LLM42 is a lightweight, domain-specific large language model, while RAG42 is a retrieval-augmented generation solution designed to help AI systems work with an organisation's own information.
The company says its solutions can operate within closed networks that are separated from external networks.
That capability could be particularly relevant in Saudi Arabia, where organisations in government, finance, energy and manufacturing may have strict requirements around data security and sovereignty.
Generative AI has created strong interest among businesses, but adopting it at scale is not always straightforward.
Companies dealing with confidential documents, financial information, government records or industrial data may not want sensitive information moving freely between external systems.
This is where private-cloud and on-premise AI can become important.
Instead of relying entirely on a public cloud environment, organisations can deploy AI within infrastructure they control. For consulting firms and technology partners, this also creates opportunities around AI strategy, implementation, data governance, cybersecurity and digital transformation.
42Maru is positioning its technology around this requirement.
The company's Saudi strategy goes beyond language models.
42Maru plans to combine its AI technologies with agentic AI capabilities that can support tasks such as document review and workflow automation.
This could move AI adoption from simple question-and-answer applications toward practical business processes.
For example, an enterprise could use AI to review large volumes of documents, retrieve relevant information and support employees with repetitive workflow tasks.
That makes the opportunity particularly relevant to businesses that are looking for measurable productivity improvements rather than simply experimenting with generative AI.
42Maru also plans to explore the use of its MRC42 machine reading comprehension technology and RAG42 with local AI platforms.
42Maru already has experience in the Saudi market.
In 2024, the company participated with NAVER Cloud in an AI transformation consulting project for the construction division of Saudi Arabia's NEOM The Line project.
That earlier experience gives the company a foundation as it looks for new opportunities in the country.
Its latest expansion plans include finding local systems-integrator partners and pursuing projects with Saudi government and public institutions, as well as state-owned companies in the energy and petrochemical sectors.
The company also plans to explore possible cooperation with the AI ecosystem being developed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).
pointed to data security as a major driver of demand in the region.
“As Saudi Arabia and the Middle East market place importance on data sovereignty and security, demand is large for on premise technology that operates independently in closed networks.” - D.K. Donghwan Kim, Founder & CEO , 42 Maru . AI
He pointed to data security as a major driver of demand in the region.The statement highlights an important issue for the next stage of enterprise AI adoption.
Businesses are no longer looking only at which AI model can produce the best answer. They are also considering where their data is processed, who can access it and whether the technology can fit into existing security requirements.
42Maru's expansion could also create opportunities for consulting and professional-services firms operating in Saudi Arabia.
Enterprise AI projects often require much more than installing a model.
Businesses may need support with:
This creates a wider ecosystem around AI, where startups, consultants and systems integrators can work together to help businesses move from AI experimentation to implementation.
42Maru's expansion comes at a time when Saudi Arabia is attracting increasing attention from global technology companies, AI startups and digital transformation providers.
For a company like 42Maru, establishing local partnerships could be an important step toward gaining access to larger enterprise and government projects.
The KOSME programme is expected to support participating Korean companies with market-entry strategy, localisation, partner discovery and connections through its Riyadh Global Business Center.
For 42Maru, the immediate priority is therefore clear: build local relationships, identify suitable projects and establish a path into the Saudi enterprise market.
The bigger opportunity lies beyond Saudi Arabia.
If the company succeeds in establishing a local presence, the country could become a gateway for its expansion across the wider MENA AI market.
The development also reflects a broader change taking place across the technology consulting industry.
AI companies are increasingly entering markets where businesses need help with implementation, security, localisation and transformation, rather than simply access to an AI model.
That means the growth of enterprise AI could generate opportunities for consultants alongside technology providers.
For 42Maru, Saudi Arabia is the next market to watch.
For the consulting industry, its expansion is another sign that AI, data security and digital transformation are becoming closely connected in the race to modernise enterprise operations.
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