IT services on pace with Kuwait’s digital evolution

Kuwait

Magd Donia, general manager of Kuwait Application Service Provider (KASP), talks to The Energy Year about signing OAPEC as a first oil and gas client and the development environments enabled by hyperscalers in Kuwait. KASP provides IT services across sectors such as financial services, government, transportation, oilfield services and construction.

What steps is KASP taking to help clients stay ahead in the rapidly evolving ICT and AI space?
We have structured our offerings into four core areas to meet the pace of digital change. First is data and analytics, which includes forecasting, reporting and insights. The second is back-office automation, with tools such as ERP [enterprise resource planning] and robotic process automation.
Third is custom application development, which we have reshaped significantly because building a large in-house developer team in Kuwait isn’t cost-effective. We have turned to a hybrid model using low-code platforms and AI. This lets us minimise outsourcing dependency while maintaining quality.
Outsourcing can be risky if you lack the internal know-how to vet deliverables. That’s why we focused on building a strong internal team capable of full-stack development, from UI to backend and databases. We have already launched our first major public solution, Qgoonline, a travel app akin to Expedia. It integrates flights, hotels, car rentals, ground transportation and holidays and enables conversion of NBK Miles into travel bookings. It went live in January 2025.
The fourth pillar is cybersecurity and networking. Together, these areas cover the full digitalisation journey – from optimisation to automation to tailored solutions and security.

How much has your business grown in the past year, and what are your prospects for business in the oil and gas sector?
We are projecting around 80% revenue growth compared to 2024, primarily driven by the government and banking sectors. The Central Bank of Kuwait is one of our biggest clients. We have built systems for them for forecasting using AI. Initially, the forecasting models were manual and time-consuming – up to 20 man-days for one forecast. Now, they are fully automated and run weekly, and data accuracy has improved from 82% to 95%, and it has been at that level for several years.
We aim to replicate that in the oil and gas sector. We successfully implemented SAP for OAPEC last year – we are doing support now – and we will hopefully use that as a springboard. With OAPEC as our first oil and gas client in back-office automation, we are discussing projects with KOC focused on data mining and forecasting. We have developed strong capabilities in this area with a large and experienced team that works on data analysis, forecasting and AI.
Over the past 12 months, we have also signed three clients and launched multiple mobile and web apps for Qgoonline. Thanks to low-code tools, we can deploy across web, Android and iOS from a single code base, which is efficient and allows us to run with a lean team.

What are your offerings in the cybersecurity space?
We tackle cybersecurity on two levels. The first is perimeter protection: firewalls, antivirus and endpoint protection. The second is securing custom applications from the ground up. Security can’t be an afterthought.
Ransomware attacks are rampant in Kuwait. Banks, ministries and airlines have all been hit. Some ransomware resides in networks for months before striking, which is why we emphasise clean backup strategies. We use tools to ensure backups are malware-free and current.
At Boodai Group, where we manage cybersecurity, we have stayed ahead of threats so far. You must be paranoid to be effective. Cybercrime is now the domain of organised crime syndicates and even state actors such as North Korea, which is reportedly generating USD 1.6 billion annually from ransomware.

How do you view Kuwait’s future in cloud and digital services?
Cloud computing in Kuwait is going to be big. Two hyperscalers, Google and Microsoft, have already signed contracts with the government. The problem with adopting cloud in Kuwait is data sovereignty, namely having data reside within the country’s boundaries. The other aspect is that, as you rely on servers outside the country, you are dependent on connection links that can be disrupted.
Data centres from Google and Microsoft bring Kuwait a wealth of capabilities that can easily be leveraged. These platforms offer much more than hosting – they provide full development environments and AI tools, and the resulting competition will drive better pricing and services. We are already building relationships with both companies, as for us, it means being ready to deliver scalable, cloud-native solutions aligned with global standards.

What role does localisation play in your business and hiring strategy?
Localisation is central to our business. We are developing internship programmes for Kuwaiti graduates across all our service lines, and we are forming partnerships with universities to provide meaningful opportunities. The goal is to develop local talent who can stay, grow or even spin off their own startups.
It’s a win-win for us and the country. We have already localised platforms such as SAP and Oracle to make payroll and HR functionality conform to Kuwaiti labour law. We want to offer the same kind of tailored solutions for KOC and others in oil and gas.

What’s the significance of KASP’s 40th anniversary this year?
It’s a big milestone. Longevity matters in IT; clients want a partner they can trust long-term. Most of our relationships span more than a decade, which demonstrates consistency, reliability and success. It reassures clients that we’re here to stay and committed to continuous improvement.

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