Autodesk creates 3D design, engineering and entertainment software. This is their intellectual property and they sell licenses to use it. This is not software that an individual would commonly purchase. That’s because the cost of a single user license for a basic Autodesk product is between four and five thousand riyals. Full featured product versions cost upwards of SR24,000 per user.
Due to its many features, Autodesk software is very popular in the architectural, engineering and construction fields in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere. Many Saudi companies have been using pirated copies of Autodesk software for years. In March 2011, Autodesk decided to hire a Saudi compliance manager, whose job it is to find companies running illegal copies of Autodesk software and make them pay for their licenses — or else.
“First, we are going to educate you. We are going to approach you to try to make you aware about genuine software, the risk you may face using illegal software, and what are the legal consequences you may face in using this illegal software,” said Yasser Al Khathlan, license compliance manager, KSA for Autodesk. “If you do not comply after that, then we have to escalate this to our lawyer in Saudi Arabia and he will do the needful in pressing charges against you.”
Al Khathlan is very frank that he’s here to focus on licensing fees for Autodesk. He’s not an engineer. Before joining Autodesk he worked in the auditing department of a bank. But since Autodesk has been touting its Saudi office presence, it might have been assumed that they were locating very high-end technical resources in the Kingdom. That’s not the case. Al Khathlan is the only direct Autodesk employee in the GCC’s largest market. Everyone else that is handing Autodesk in Saudi Arabia is an employee of a channel partner. That includes the expatriate who runs the programs providing free Autodesk  software to Saudi universities and students, as well as the engineers who provide technical training to Saudi companies who use Autodesk products. 
What other investments has Autodesk made in the Kingdom? For instance, has Autodesk software been Arabized?
“We don’t have an Arabic version yet. What we support is adding Arabic text or comments to drawings,” said Al Khathlan. “Arabic support was a subject in our last partner meeting in Abu Dhabi in May 2011. The discussion was around, ‘Do we really need Arabic menus?’ What we got from our audience is that it’s not really needed since most of the engineers are very well acquainted with the English menus. What they need is an Arabic manual. This is still under study. We have seen experiences from other software providers that they went with the translation but it didn’t work out for them.”
So, forget about Arabic, at least for now. Does Autodesk have a program to support Saudi entrepreneurs? Unfortunately, no. Small Saudi start ups pay the same price for an Autodesk license as a massive enterprise firm. Those students who learn to use Autodesk at university should understand that if they strike out on their own, there is no licensing fee for individuals. They’ll pay the same single user license as any company. Autodesk forces Saudi companies to buy their software locally and physically from channel partners — the convenience of instant online downloads is not available. At least the government can collect some tax revenue that way.
When asked what Autodesk is doing in terms of corporate social responsibility, Al Khathlan pointed to the free software made available to the local universities. A check of Autodesk’s website under the heading, “Community Relations,” found the following:
“In 2010 Autodesk granted nearly $1 million in cash grants to qualifying nonprofits worldwide, including more than $600,000 in cash grants to US charities. Software valued at more than $1million was donated to nonprofit organizations and schools around the globe, and employees donated over 8,500 volunteer hours.”
Al Khathlan wasn’t aware of any cash grants that were given by Autodesk to any Saudi charities or of any volunteer work done by any Autodesk employee for an NGO in the Kingdom. He claimed that Autodesk plans to have more Saudis working with its channel partners and within Autodesk itself — but that hasn’t happened yet.
A statement on its licensing compliance program from Andres Arthur, regional director, MEA for Autodesk reads, “At a time of continuing economic uncertainty, businesses are looking for new ways of generating and protecting revenue streams. Being compliant often helps them save money and avoid potential damages for noncompliance.”
Clearly, the Kingdom is on the Autodesk roadmap as a potentially lucrative revenue stream. It’s just a pity that there’s no compliance requirement for this American company when it comes to relations with the Saudi community.