AI adoption is accelerating fastest in the Middle East and Africa, but speed is not the same as success.
Nearly 60 per cent of organisations in the region have already used AI agents, ahead of the rest of the world, as per the latest research by Google. But far too many companies are rushing into adoption without a clear strategy, creating systems that may look impressive yet manage to deliver little.
Globally, fewer than one in 10 companies have a companywide AI strategy, Google's research indicates. Instead, most experiment in silos, launching chatbots here, automating processes there: dabbling with AI but still not unlocking its full potential.
AI is often named as a corporate priority, but that ambition rarely comes with the resources to match. Without adequate time, budgets and institutional support, initiatives stall at the pilot stage – a reminder that vision without resources is not enough.
Companies don’t need more hype but a way of demystifying AI. That means building a business case, proving impact with small wins, staying agile in roll-outs, and creating a culture that encourages experimentation. Without this, there is a risk that AI adoption will remain fragmented and underwhelming.
Understanding AI starts with clarity of direction, and that clarity often comes from the top. The real barrier isn’t technical. It’s leadership. Over 40 per cent of executives cite lack of strategy and leadership as the top barrier to adoption, ahead of technical hurdles, Google’s research indicates. Strategy without leadership is just a plan on paper. When leaders set the vision, AI becomes part of an organisation’s DNA, rather than a series of scattered pilots.
Too often, companies hand AI to the IT department because it is seen as a “tech issue”. While IT is certainly essential for the success of a smart and innovative AI strategy, it is only one player. True integration requires the many more stakeholders within the corporation to be actively involved, including HR, compliance, internal audit, and business leaders. They can align adoption with the company’s broader goals. AI is not a technical project. It is a management decision that must cascade across strategy, processes and culture.
Setting a smart AI strategy also means knowing where humans remain irreplaceable. AI tools can crunch numbers at scale, but they cannot read a boardroom, grasp cultural nuance or tailor advice to a unique context. Trust, judgment and cultural sensitivity are still human domains, and they determine whether data becomes action.
In practical terms, this looks different by industry. In consulting, for instance, smart AI adoption means using AI tools to compress months of research into days, surface insights at scale and accelerate analysis. Humans then ensure coherence, validate findings and protect client data privacy. We need to start co-creating with AI: letting the tools do the heavy lifting while human advisers preserve trust and bring the emotional intelligence that machines cannot replicate.
Even when AI projects deliver value, that impact may not always be visible without straightforward communication. Without clear storytelling and measurable results, successful initiatives can go unnoticed, weakening support for further investment and slowing momentum.
The picture that emerges is plain: the Middle East may be ahead in adoption, but most organisations are still experimenting in fragments. To move beyond pilots and piecemeal fixes, leaders need to strip away the hype and take a structured approach.
Yes, leadership sets the tone, but optimising AI usage also means knowing when to lean on technology and when to rely on human judgment.
The companies that succeed will be those that treat AI not as a trend to chase, but as a discipline to master, balancing speed with strategy, and automation with human intelligence.
