In a recent article in FinTech News UAE, QBurst CEO Arun “Rak” Ramchandran explains why the UAE and Saudi Arabia are taking an operations-first approach to AI. 

Operations-first means reversing the usual order of priorities. Organizations begin by asking whether AI can be controlled in terms of data, behavior, and accountability; whether it can operate reliably across large institutions; and whether it can endure regulatory pressure and public visibility. Only when these conditions are satisfied does scaling make sense.

Rather than chasing headlines or pilots, organizations in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are focusing on making AI work inside real institutions: banks, government agencies, energy companies, and large enterprises where reliability, governance, and accountability matter. This approach is already driving impact by way of risk management, operational efficiency, and integrated service delivery.

Rak situates this approach within the national strategy. The UAE’s push toward AI-native government places AI inside public service delivery, where consistency and auditability matter more than novelty. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 positions AI as a productivity lever in capital-intensive and regulated sectors where reliability is critical.