- Cognigate Advisory Team
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Introduction: Integration as the Foundation of MENA’s Digital Future
Across the Middle East and North Africa, governments and enterprises are accelerating digital transformation. Yet, a common barrier keeps reappearing: siloed systems. Ministries adopt new portals, telecoms launch customer apps, banks roll out digital wallets — but too often these initiatives fail to connect into a seamless whole.
IDC forecasts that spending on integration and middleware in the MENA region will grow at 15% annually through 2027, as organizations realize connectivity is the key to transformation (IDC).
This is where platforms like Peliqan Integration Hub come in — enabling organizations to connect workflows across legacy systems, SaaS platforms, and emerging applications to deliver real human impact.
The Integration Challenge in MENA
Governments
Saudi Arabia: Vision 2030 requires ministries to share data seamlessly, yet many still operate on fragmented legacy systems.
Egypt: Expanding digital services for citizens (tax, education, healthcare) but struggling with interoperability across ministries.
Qatar: World Cup digital systems showed the value of connected workflows but also exposed integration gaps between agencies.
Enterprises
Telecoms: Operators in UAE, Saudi, and Morocco juggle legacy billing with modern CX platforms.
Banks: In Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, fintech competition is forcing incumbents to modernize integrations.
Retail: F&B groups in GCC are racing to connect POS, e-commerce, and loyalty apps.
McKinsey stresses:
“Without connected workflows, digital transformation creates islands of automation that fail to deliver end-to-end value.”
Why Peliqan Integration Hub Matters
Peliqan is designed specifically for data orchestration and workflow automation. Unlike traditional middleware, it prioritizes ease, speed, and accessibility:
Prebuilt connectors for CRMs (Creatio), ITSM (Freshworks), OKR platforms (Profit.co), ERPs, and industry-specific tools.
Data pipelines to unify citizen, employee, and customer records.
Low-code/no-code capabilities, enabling business teams to build workflows without deep IT skills.
Governance-first design, aligned with regional compliance needs (data sovereignty in KSA, GDPR in Morocco, etc.).
“Integration should empower business leaders, not overwhelm them with complexity.” — Cognigate
Regional Case Examples
Saudi Arabia – Government Service Integration
A ministry facing fragmented citizen data used Peliqan to build connected workflows across portals, ensuring one unified citizen profile. Result: faster service delivery and higher adoption.
Egypt – Education Sector
Universities integrated ERP, student portals, and learning systems. Peliqan connected workflows so students could access grades, finance, and transcripts seamlessly.
Morocco – Banking
A regional bank used Peliqan to connect fintech APIs with legacy core banking, enabling mobile-first customer journeys while meeting compliance standards.
Cognigate’s Perspective: HX Through Connected Workflows
At Cognigate, we measure integration not by the number of APIs connected, but by the human experiences improved:
Citizens spending less time navigating bureaucracy.
Employees working with one dashboard instead of ten.
Customers receiving consistent service across every channel.
“Connected workflows are not about technology. They are about dignity — giving people back their time.” — Cognigate
Beyond Technology: Building a Connected Culture
Governance: Establish integration councils that oversee priorities.
Skills: Upskill teams to use low-code integration tools.
KPIs: Track HX outcomes (citizen adoption, resolution time, NPS).
Partnerships: Collaborate with system integrators to accelerate adoption.
Deloitte affirms this approach:
“Organizations in MENA that build connected digital platforms see faster adoption and greater citizen trust.”
Conclusion: Integration as the Real Differentiator
MENA governments and enterprises are investing heavily in AI, cloud, and apps. But without integration, these become isolated innovations. The Peliqan Integration Hub offers a future-ready way to connect systems, unify data, and orchestrate workflows — transforming siloed initiatives into human-centered outcomes.
As IDC notes:
“Integration is the new digital backbone. Without it, digital transformation is incomplete.”
At Cognigate, we believe the future of MENA digital transformation will be written in connected workflows — where technology fades into the background, and human experience takes center stage.
