Head of AI Strategy

Foreground LLC; Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consultancy in the UAE is seeking a Head of AI Strategy to build and operationalize their AI consulting practice. This high-profile role involves advising both enterprise and government clients, defining AI strategies, and leading a dedicated team. The successful candidate will possess deep expertise in technology strategy and advanced analytics, alongside a strong understanding of the regulatory landscape in the region.

Qualifications

• 15 years in technology strategy with 5 years in AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders on AI implementations.
• Strong understanding of UAE and GCC regulations around data privacy and AI ethics.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the AI strategy roadmap and client engagement frameworks.
• Oversee AI solution design and delivery, spanning various methodologies.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams and engage with C-level clients on AI strategies.

Skills

AI strategy

digital transformation

enterprise architecture

data science

machine learning

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science

MBA or PhD

Tools

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

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.