AI is not a technology decision. It is a leadership decision. The organizations that gain competitive advantage from AI in the next five years will not be the ones with the most sophisticated models. They will be the ones with leaders who understand what AI can and cannot do, who know how to deploy it strategically, and who can navigate the ethical, workforce, and governance challenges it creates. This program builds that leadership capability.

Course Overview

The AI for Business Leaders program is a non-technical, strategically focused course for senior managers, directors, and C-suite executives who need to understand AI well enough to lead their organizations through its adoption, without needing to become data scientists or engineers. The program covers what AI actually is, how it creates and destroys business value, how to build an AI strategy, how to govern AI responsibly, and how to lead the human and organizational change that AI adoption requires.

The program is deliberately non-technical. There is no coding, no mathematics, and no assumption of prior AI knowledge. What it demands is strategic thinking, leadership judgment, and the willingness to engage seriously with a technology that is reshaping every industry in the GCC, Africa, and globally.

Available as an instructor-led classroom course, as a fully live online program, and as a customized in-house program. Every format is live and interactive. There are no pre-recorded sessions.

Who Delivers This Program

Every session is facilitated by a practitioner with direct experience deploying AI in commercial and organizational settings, not a researcher or academic discussing AI in theory. Our facilitators have led AI strategy development, overseen AI implementation programs, and navigated the workforce and governance challenges that AI adoption creates in real organizations.

How We Make This Relevant to You Specifically

Before every cohort, each participant completes a pre-course profile covering their industry, their organization’s current AI maturity, and the specific AI decisions and challenges they are navigating. Facilitators calibrate all examples, case studies, and strategic exercises to the actual business contexts of participants.

What You Will Learn

Understand AI well enough to lead it
Develop a clear, accurate understanding of what AI is, what its current capabilities and limitations are, and where it is heading over the next three to five years.

Identify AI value opportunities in your organization
Apply a structured framework to identify where AI can create genuine value in your specific business context and prioritize deployment accordingly.

Build an AI strategy
Develop a coherent organizational AI strategy that aligns with business objectives, is realistic about capability and risk, and provides a clear roadmap for implementation.

Govern AI responsibly
Establish the governance structures, policies, and oversight mechanisms that manage AI risk while enabling innovation and competitive deployment.

Lead AI-driven workforce change
Navigate the human and organizational implications of AI adoption, including workforce redesign, reskilling, and the cultural change that AI requires.

Ask the right questions of your AI team
Challenge AI recommendations, understand AI outputs, and hold technical teams accountable without needing to understand the mathematics behind the models.

Evaluate AI vendors and partnerships
Assess AI vendor proposals, evaluate build vs buy decisions, and structure AI partnerships that protect organizational interests.

Understand AI in the Gulf and African context
Navigate the specific AI regulatory environment, national AI strategies, and market dynamics of the GCC and major African economies.

Course Outline

Module 1: What AI Actually Is

A clear, jargon-free explanation of artificial intelligence, machine learning, large language models, generative AI, and related technologies. What they can do, what they cannot do, and the gap between the hype and the reality. The AI landscape as it stands today and where it is heading.

Module 2: How AI Creates and Destroys Business Value

The business models AI enables. Where AI delivers genuine competitive advantage and where it is commoditized infrastructure. First-mover advantage vs fast-follower strategy in AI adoption. The risks of AI: reputational, operational, legal, and strategic. How AI is reshaping competitive dynamics across key industries.

Module 3: Identifying AI Opportunities in Your Organization

A structured framework for mapping AI value opportunities across the value chain. Prioritizing AI use cases by value, feasibility, and risk. Quick wins vs strategic AI investments. Data readiness: understanding what your organization needs before AI can deliver value. Workshop: mapping AI opportunities in your specific business.

Module 4: Building an Organizational AI Strategy

The components of an effective AI strategy. Aligning AI investment to business objectives. Build vs buy vs partner decisions. Data strategy as the foundation of AI capability. Sequencing AI adoption: where to start and how to scale. Making the board-level case for AI investment.

Module 5: AI Governance, Ethics, and Risk

The ethical dimensions of AI: bias, fairness, transparency, and accountability. Regulatory landscape: global AI regulation, EU AI Act, and emerging Gulf and African AI governance frameworks. Building an organizational AI governance structure. Managing AI risk at board level. What responsible AI actually means in practice.

Module 6: AI and the Workforce

What AI will and will not replace. Augmentation vs automation: redesigning work rather than simply cutting headcount. The reskilling challenge: what capabilities your workforce needs to work alongside AI effectively. Managing the human impact of AI adoption. Communicating AI change to employees without creating panic.

Module 7: AI in the Gulf and Africa

National AI strategies in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and across the GCC. AI investment priorities within Vision 2030. The African AI landscape: opportunities, constraints, and emerging leaders. Data sovereignty, localization requirements, and regulatory considerations specific to these markets. Case studies from regional AI adoption.

Module 8: Leading an AI-Ready Organization

The cultural and leadership conditions that enable successful AI adoption. Building AI literacy across the organization. Attracting and retaining AI talent. The leader’s role in setting the tone for responsible and ambitious AI use. Avoiding the common leadership mistakes that derail AI programs.

Module 9: Your AI Leadership Action Plan

Building a concrete AI strategy outline and leadership action plan for your organization, with peer review and certificate of completion.

What This Investment Returns to Your Organization

$4.4T

annual economic value AI could add globally according to McKinsey, with the majority of value captured by organizations whose leaders understand how to deploy it strategically.
Source: McKinsey Global Institute

77%

of business leaders say AI will be fundamental to their organizations within the next three years, yet most acknowledge their leadership teams are not yet equipped to deploy it effectively.
Source: IBM Institute for Business Value

$135B

projected AI investment in the GCC by 2030, as part of national AI strategies in Saudi Arabia, UAE, and neighboring economies, creating significant demand for AI-literate leadership.
Source: Strategy& / PwC Middle East

more likely to be an AI leader if C-suite executives are personally engaged in AI strategy, compared to organizations where AI is delegated entirely to technical teams.
Source: McKinsey State of AI report

Beyond the numbers: The organizations that will capture disproportionate value from AI are not those with the biggest technology budgets — they are the ones whose leaders understand the technology well enough to deploy it strategically, govern it responsibly, and lead the human change it requires. This program builds exactly that capability.

Who Should Attend

C-suite executives and board members who need to understand and govern AI without becoming technical experts
Senior managers and directors responsible for AI strategy or adoption decisions
HR and L&D leaders building organizational AI capability
Government and public sector leaders navigating national AI strategy implementation
Business leaders who feel they are falling behind on AI and want to close the gap quickly

No technical background required or assumed. Participants from all industries welcome. Delivered in English. Arabic delivery available for in-house programs on request.

Delivery Format

In-Person Classroom

Full days, 9am to 5pm
Maximum 15 participants per cohort
Scheduled venues globally
Materials and workbook included

Live Online

Live instructor-led, never pre-recorded
Flexible time-zone scheduling
Fully interactive with breakout groups
Same outcomes and certificate as classroom

In-House / Corporate: Delivered for your leadership team anywhere in the world, calibrated to your industry and AI maturity. Request a proposal.

Pricing

The following fees apply to the standard 5-day public course delivered in Saudi Arabia and the GCC.

$3,950

Per delegate
Individual booking

$3,555

Per delegate
Groups of 3 to 5 (10% off)

$2,963

Per delegate
Groups of 6 to 10 (25% off)

Fees include all materials, workbook, and certificate. For venues outside the GCC, see the Training Calendar. For in-house delivery, contact us for a proposal.

Research sources cited on this page:
McKinsey Global Institute. The economic potential of generative AI. mckinsey.com
IBM Institute for Business Value. AI and the CEO Agenda. ibm.com
Strategy& / PwC Middle East. AI in the Middle East. strategyand.pwc.com
McKinsey. The State of AI in 2024. mckinsey.com

Upcoming Dates & Venues

No sessions currently scheduled.
Contact us to register your interest — we'll notify you when new dates are confirmed, or arrange a private cohort for your team.

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AI for Business Leaders