Foreground is partnering with a regional digital transformation consultancy headquartered in the UAE to appoint a visionary and commercially grounded Head of AI Strategy, based in Dubai. With a portfolio of enterprise and public-sector clients across the GCC, the firm is entering a growth phase driven by demand for scalable, AI-enabled solutions across industries. This appointment is a foundational hire tasked with building and leading the firms AI practice from the ground up.

Role Purpose

To architect and operationalize a commercially viable AI consulting practice that advises enterprise and government clients on how to leverage artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science to solve business challenges, improve decision-making, and unlock new value streams.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the firms AI strategy practice roadmap, including service models, solution architecture, and client engagement frameworks tailored to sector-specific use cases.
• Partner with business development to identify high-impact AI opportunities and lead client-facing strategy development for proposals, pilots, and scaled engagements.
• Oversee the design and delivery of AI solutions spanning automation, predictive modeling, natural language processing, recommendation systems, and computer vision.
• Build and lead a multidisciplinary team of AI consultants, data scientists, and solution architects; oversee third-party vendor relationships and technology alliances.
• Engage directly with C-level clients to understand business pain points, assess data infrastructure maturity, and translate these into actionable AI strategies with clear business cases.
• Lead the development of IP, accelerators, frameworks, and methodologies that differentiate the firms approach to AI consulting in the GCC market.
• Serve as the firms subject matter expert on emerging AI trends, contributing to thought leadership, strategic forums, and regional policy dialogues.
• Ensure that all AI work complies with regional data privacy laws, ethical AI guidelines, and public-sector compliance requirements.

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 15+ years of experience in technology strategy, digital transformation, or enterprise architecture, with at least 5+ years focused specifically on artificial intelligence, machine learning, or advanced analytics.
• Proven experience advising senior stakeholders in both public and private sectors on the adoption and implementation of AI-based systems.
• Deep understanding of the AI ecosystem, including data platforms, algorithm design, model governance, and solution delivery in cloud-native environments (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Engineering, or a related field; MBA or PhD is a strong advantage.
• Strong understanding of the UAE and GCC regulatory landscape around data privacy, AI ethics, and digital innovation policy.
• Exceptional executive presence, presentation skills, and the ability to translate complex AI concepts into clear, commercially meaningful outcomes.