A version of this article was originally published in CEO Middle East.
In less than three years, the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has separated leaders from laggards. While most companies are still running pilots and not adequately engaging employees, a decisive minority is capturing real results.
A new Oliver Wyman Forum report, “How AI Leaders Are Taking Flight”, analyzed a survey of 165 NYSE-listed company CEOs and found a stark divide among these companies: 17% of firms with revenue of $1 billion or more are already generating more than 10% of revenue or cost improvements from AI initiatives.
Four traits set these frontrunners apart. They roll out AI quickly and widely, use it to transform not merely tweak, seize opportunities in uncertain times, and turn employees into force multipliers. These leaders share a transformative mindset. Almost half of them prioritize long-term transformation; only 26% of non-leaders do the same. The goal isn’t just rolling out chatbots, it’s rewiring the entire enterprise.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) faces a unique opportunity to apply these lessons. As Gulf nations pursue ambitious economic diversification beyond oil, they can leverage traditional strengths in operational excellence while embracing AI's transformative potential.
Gulf powerhouses, including national oil companies, built success on operational excellence in traditional industries. This same operational excellence that drove their historical achievements now positions them perfectly for AI-driven transformation. As they pursue economic diversification, AI becomes critical for business model innovation, and the region can learn from global AI leaders as they build for the future.
Scaling AI rapidly is essential for Gulf leaders’ success
Almost every CEO sees AI’s potential; even so, half of the leaders worry they’ll move too slowly. Among lagging companies, 55% worry about too few proven use cases — the opposite priority.
Leaders focus on scaling quickly, while laggards seek certainty first. The outcomes are stark: 79% of AI leaders report investments meeting or exceeding return on investment (ROI) expectations, versus just 28% of non-leaders.
Consider the United Arab Emirate’s (UAE) decision to integrate AI as an advisory member of its Cabinet starting January 2026. While other nations commission studies on digital policy-making, the UAE moved from Cabinet trials in April 2025 to full implementation in just nine months. They chose the first-mover path and launched the world’s first AI Cabinet adviser, a tool that feeds real-time analysis into policy making.
In fact, the speed imperative resonates powerfully across the Gulf, where bold vision timelines don't allow for lengthy AI pilot phases. Scale AI swiftly, or the broader transformation goals will slip out of reach.
Focusing on strategic AI opportunities instead of risk aversion
AI leaders see opportunity where others see risk — but only where they can influence outcomes. A significant 86% view shifting customer needs as an opportunity versus 60% of non-leaders. Similarly, 89% see talent and workforce strategy as opportunity versus 70% of laggards.
Such confidence stems from knowing precisely which pain points AI can solve right now. AI leaders know their customers, how to serve them, and why they're superior. This enables rapid decisions about which opportunities align with purpose.
Regional competition across the GCC is intensifying. Hesitating on AI means ceding ground — first to outside disruptors, then to nimbler rivals within the region.
Workforce transformation through AI training fuels competitive advantage
An often-overlooked transformation factor may be the most important: people. Employees at leading companies are twice as likely to have received formal AI-training as those at non-leading firms. The workers at AI-leading companies are also three times more likely to believe in their company's future and twice as likely to feel job security during AI transitions.
AI adoption in the Gulf is already ahead of the world: just 7% of UAE employees and 6% in Saudi Arabia never use the technology at work, versus 23% globally. That enthusiasm extends to upskilling — about two-thirds of workers in the UAE and 70% in Saudi Arabia would accept a lower salary if it guaranteed robust AI training, according to Oliver Wyman Forum research.
Employers should tap into the desire for more training. Confident employees drive better AI outcomes, accelerating transformation. Employees at leading firms are three times more likely to feel engaged during disruption and five times likelier to say their company embraces bold competitive bets.
One global biopharmaceutical company achieved 80% workforce AI adoption in six months, then co-created 750 AI assistants in eight weeks. With 40% of users building their own tools and averaging 120 AI interactions weekly, they compressed regulatory cycles from weeks to days.
For Gulf countries that are building knowledge economies beyond oil, this workforce transformation model offers a blueprint for sustainable competitive advantage. Systematic AI training and clear strategic communication can transform workforces into innovation accelerators.
AI in The Gulf — it’s time to seize the regional opportunity
The Gulf now stands at a crossroads. Economic diversification requires AI-driven business transformation, not incremental improvements. Infrastructure investment alone won't determine winners — strategic mindset will.
Regional AI champions won't be the ones with the biggest technology budgets. They'll be those that embrace transformation over tweaking, speed over certainty, and internal capability building over external dependencies.
The national visions provide the framework. But frameworks don't execute themselves. Gulf leaders must choose: optimize existing operations with AI or use AI to reimagine what their organizations can become.
The window is narrowing. While others debate pilot programs, AI leaders capture transformational value. Gulf leaders have unmatched advantages: capital, strategic location, and policy alignment. The same conviction that built energy powerhouses must now drive AI transformation.
The moment to act is now.
Read the original piece here.