Senior Strategy Researcher — Middle East

Keeta; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Keeta is seeking a seasoned market research and strategy professional to drive GCC-focused market intelligence, with emphasis on the UAV, low-altitude economy, and smart logistics sectors across the Middle East. The role requires clear synthesis into senior leadership briefs and the ability to navigate a fast-evolving regional business landscape.

You will build regional networks, collaborate with product, operations, legal, and government affairs teams, and craft execution-ready recommendations

Qualifications

• Master's degree or above in International Relations, Economics, Political Science, Area Studies (Middle East), Business Administration, or related fields preferred.
• 5+ years of professional experience in strategy consulting, industry research, market intelligence, or corporate strategy, with a demonstrated focus on international markets.
• Strong knowledge of the Middle East geopolitical environment, economic structures, and business culture, particularly within GCC countries.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise, and decision-oriented outputs (reports, white papers, strategic memos).
• Fluent in English (written and spoken) with excellent business communication skills.
• Strong cross-cultural communication competence and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-evolving international environments.
• Self-driven with the ability to manage multiple research workstreams independently and deliver under tight timelines.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth research on the political, economic, and regulatory landscape of the Middle East, focusing on GCC countries.
• Analyze market opportunities, competitive dynamics, and industry trends in UAV, low-altitude economy, and smart logistics sectors in the region.
• Develop market entry strategies, including partner evaluation, go-to-market models, and policy risk assessments.
• Monitor regional industrial policies, aviation regulations, airspace management frameworks, and tech standards relevant to unmanned systems.
• Translate research insights into actionable, execution-ready business recommendations and strategic briefs for senior leadership.
• Build and maintain a network of regional contacts, industry experts, government relations channels, and potential partners.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, operations, legal, and government affairs teams to align market research with business objectives.

Skills

Strategic research

Market intelligence

Policy analysis

Executive reporting

Education

Master's degree in International Relations

Master's degree in Economics

Master's degree in Political Science

Master's degree in Area Studies

Master's degree in Business Administration

Job description

• Conduct in-depth research on the political, economic, and regulatory landscape of the Middle East, with a primary focus on GCC countries (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.), tracking policy shifts and their implications for business operations.
• Analyze market opportunities, competitive dynamics, and industry trends in the UAV, low-altitude economy, and smart logistics sectors across the Middle East region.
• Develop market entry strategies, including partner/stakeholder evaluation, go-to-market models, and policy risk assessments to support business expansion decisions.
• Monitor and interpret regional industrial policies, aviation regulations, airspace management frameworks, and technology standards relevant to unmanned aerial systems.
• Translate research insights into actionable, execution-ready business recommendations and strategic briefs for senior leadership.
• Build and maintain a network of regional contacts, industry experts, government relations channels, and potential partners to support on-the-ground intelligence gathering.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, operations, legal, and government affairs teams to align market research with business objectives and execution timelines.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or above, majors in International Relations, Economics, Political Science, Area Studies (Middle East), Business Administration, or related fields preferred.
• 5+ years of professional experience in strategy consulting, industry research, market intelligence, or corporate strategy, with a demonstrated focus on international markets.
• Strong knowledge of the Middle East geopolitical environment, economic structures, and business culture, particularly within GCC countries.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex information into clear, concise, and decision-oriented outputs (reports, white papers, strategic memos).
• Fluent in English (written and spoken) with excellent business communication skills.
• Strong cross-cultural communication competence and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-evolving international environments.
• Self-driven with the ability to manage multiple research workstreams independently and deliver under tight timelines.

Nice to Have

• Direct experience in the UAV, aviation, logistics, or mobility technology sectors.
• Prior experience supporting C-level or VP-level strategic decision-making in a technology company.