Middle East Boards Among World's Most AI-Focused: Study
42% of directors in the region described their boards as essential drivers of value creation.
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[Image: Chetan Jha/MITSMR Middle East]
Corporate boards across the Middle East are emerging as some of the most technology-focused and forward-looking governing bodies globally, according to new research that suggests the region is outpacing many Western markets in adapting board governance for the AI era.
The latest Board Value Index from Board Intelligence, which surveyed more than 400 non-executive directors, CEOs, and CFOs across the Middle East, the US, the UK, and Nordic countries, found that boards in the region are more confident in their ability to create value and are taking a notably proactive approach to AI oversight.
Forty-two percent of Middle East directors described their board as an essential driver of value creation—the highest share among all regions surveyed. The research also found that 86% believe their boards actively enable innovation, while 58% are already reviewing which decisions should remain human-led and which could increasingly be delegated to AI systems as artificial intelligence becomes embedded in corporate operations.
The findings arrive as Gulf economies accelerate efforts to diversify beyond hydrocarbons, invest in emerging technologies, and build AI-driven industries. As governments across the region push ambitious digital transformation agendas, boards appear to be evolving from compliance-focused oversight bodies into strategic forums tasked with navigating technological disruption.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents (62%) said most board meeting time is devoted to future-focused discussions, placing Middle East boards ahead of their counterparts in the UK and Nordic countries and second only to those in the US. Directors also appear more likely to frame emerging technologies as opportunities rather than risks. Thirty percent said their boards discuss quantum computing primarily through a strategic lens, compared with a global average of 24%.
“Boards across the Middle East are among the most forward-looking globally and are leading many of the conversations around AI governance and future readiness,” said Pippa Begg, chief executive and co-founder of Board Intelligence.
Yet the research also points to a growing governance challenge: expertise. Skills and subject-matter knowledge emerged as the most frequently cited obstacle to better board decisions, identified by 34% of respondents. Four in five directors said skills gaps had contributed to at least one delayed, rushed, or poor decision over the previous six months.
The survey suggests that while boards are increasingly comfortable discussing advanced technologies, many are still building the capabilities needed to govern them effectively. Only 22% of directors said their boards strongly enable innovation, and nearly two-thirds reported they would need to develop internal talent or conduct an external search before they could immediately appoint a CEO successor.
The gap highlights that technological ambition is rising faster than governance capacity. For Middle East organizations seeking to compete in an AI-driven economy, the next challenge may be to ensure board expertise keeps pace with the technologies reshaping business itself.
