Rethinking Data Governance in the Gulf Region

“Data Governance needs to be non-invasive. To the extent it needs to be invisible. Data governance should manifest itself by not manifesting itself, it should be embedded in the pedigree and culture of the business.“

-Gautam Verma, Head of Data Enablement, Department of Government Enablement (DGE), AD Govt.

What Does It Take to Make Data Governance a True Business Enabler?

The Gulf region is experiencing unprecedented digital transformation. From Saudi Vision 2030 to UAE's smart government initiatives, the ambitions are bold and the timelines aggressive. Yet traditional data governance frameworks, designed for compliance in Western markets, may not fit the region's innovation-first approach. In this episode of Data Enablers, we examine what it truly takes to make data governance work as a strategic enabler in the Gulf's ambitious transformation landscape.

You’ll hear

Why the Gulf region is uniquely proactive, adopting GDPR voluntarily while Western markets remain reactive.
How to localise data governance frameworks: light on compliance, heavy on innovation.
Why company culture is the #1 barrier and the three fears driving resistance: fear of unknown, fear of automation, and fear of being exposed.
The visible difference between compliance-driven and innovation-driven approaches over three years.

Along the way, we explore culture as the biggest barrier, the three fears driving resistance, and what it truly takes to make data governance non-invasive and embedded in how businesses operate.

This is a conversation beyond policies. It's about the mindset shifts and localised frameworks that transform data governance from compliance obligation to strategic advantage.