It’s Time To Disrupt The Consultancy Model, Here’s Why
The recent COP29 summit in Baku underscored the urgent need for integrated, sustainable solutions to combat climate change. This annual global call to action highlights the necessity for consultancy models that not only provide strategic guidance but also ensure operational execution and deliver measurable outcomes tied to clear KPIs.
Traditional consultancy approaches, characterized by fragmented interventions, are increasingly inadequate in addressing the complex challenges of today's world.
Clients now demand comprehensive advisory support that also aligns with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals, ensuring both strategic alignment and operational success that delivers long-term value creation.
This shift is particularly evident in the Middle East, where large-scale transformations, such as those under Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, are reshaping both regions and industries. The question is: Is the conventional consultancy approach becoming obsolete in the face of these complex regional needs?
The Regional Shift
Across the Middle East, governments and businesses are embarking on transformative initiatives that extend far beyond new projects. The opportunities to enhance and modernise existing infrastructure are abundant, creating stronger platforms for sustainable economic and environmental growth, and driving national capacity-building efforts.
While giga-projects like NEOM, The Line, and AlUla often dominate headlines, equally important is the work being done to optimise existing infrastructure.
By offering end-to-end solutions, consultancy and advisory businesses can ensure that systems are not only modernised but also aligned with broader ESG frameworks and decarbonisation strategies, creating the foundation for future growth.
As part of these efforts, consultancies are also well-positioned to play a critical role in sustainability-focused programmes, such as those prioritising human capital development.
The region’s leadership, particularly in Saudi Arabia, seeks not only to build new cities and sectors but to elevate national capabilities, enabling sustainable economic and social progress.
This involves a significant emphasis on knowledge transfer, whereby all larger-scale private sector businesses, including consultancies, must help develop the expertise necessary for resilient, long-term success.
The case for change
Historically, the consultancy landscape in the Middle East has been fragmented. Different companies, or even separate departments within the same consultancy, have handled various stages of a project – from strategy and planning to execution and monitoring.
This fragmentation often results in inefficiencies, communication breakdowns, budget overspend and a lack of accountability that can undermine a project’s success.
Given the scale and complexity of Vision 2030 projects, these inefficiencies are no longer tolerable. What is needed now is a more integrated, cohesive approach.
Saudi Arabia has already recognised the challenges posed by this fragmented consultancy model.
Reports from entities like EXPRO have highlighted the billions spent on consulting services over the years and have been among the key drivers for the establishment of government bodies , which aim to transform how government entities engage with consultants and ensure that projects are effectively executed.
This has also opened opportunities for more disruptive entries into the advisory space—such as those offering end-to-end solutions that address both the planning and execution phases of a project. Such models also enable a deeper focus on sustainability metrics, ensuring that environmental and social considerations are embedded at every stage of the project lifecycle.
Bringing in experienced advisors who not only have the planning capabilities, but who can also bring projects to life and operate them, will mean that both vision and execution can be easily and consistently connected.
A single operator can develop a profound understanding of the project's goals, context and nuances, enabling more coherent and effective decision-making throughout the project's lifecycle, saving time, resources and budgets.
In the context of KSA and UAE’s government visions, where projects are not only large-scale but also multifaceted, spanning various sectors and requiring diverse expertise, a unified consultancy model ensures that ESG benchmarks, resource efficiency, and green building standards are met throughout.
For instance, a large infrastructure project like a giga-project could benefit immensely from a unified consultancy approach. This would ensure that every phase—from strategic alignment with national objectives to the achievement of climate-positive goals and from infrastructure development to operational launch—supports and reinforces the overall vision.
Challenges Ahead
As the demand for expert services continues to grow in the Middle East, one of the main challenges for consultancies is scalability. Vision 2030, along with other regional initiatives, includes a wide range of projects across various sectors. Ensuring that a single operator can meet these diverse needs, while providing the necessary breadth and depth of expertise, is no small task.
The consultancy market in Saudi Arabia is also relatively young, and the need for specialised knowledge often exceeds what is available locally. While businesses and government entities are working to build their internal capabilities, this is a time-consuming process.
Consultancies that can provide scalable sustainability solutions—such as carbon offsetting strategies, renewable energy integration, and circular economy principles—are well-positioned to bridge this gap.
Navigating the Path Forward
As the Middle East continues its rapid advancement, lessons from global mega-projects, such as Expos, World Cups, and major urban developments, can provide valuable insights.
These events have created a pool of skilled advisors and operational experts who understand both the global and regional nuances of large-scale projects, whose expertise can now be transferred to the Middle East, ensuring that projects not only deliver economic value but also meet the region’s growing climate and environmental commitments.
Moving forward to make this model truly work, government agencies and private sector entities must be willing to place substantial trust in a single advisory provider, moving away from the traditional multi-vendor approach. This trust must be built on proven capabilities, transparent communication, and a track record of successful project delivery.
Whilst there will be hurdles to overcome, using a single organisation to both advise and deliver can drive greater efficiency, accountability, and alignment with national objectives.
As the region embraces transformative visions like Vision 2030, sustainability must remain central to its progress. Consultancy models that integrate environmental stewardship, social impact, and governance priorities into every phase of a project will shape the Middle East’s future.
Serco’s launch of +impact reflects this shift, with its commitment to providing practical, sustainable and user-centric solutions designed to support customers from the initial phases of a project right through to implementation and operations.
