Innovation Insights

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Why 90% of AI pilots fail in GCC?
Soheil Abbasi • Mar 10, 2026

Why 90% of AI pilots fail in GCC?

The GCC is not short on AI ambition. What it lacks, in many cases, is the organizational readiness to turn pilots into measurable value.This article examines why AI pilots stall in the GCC and what leaders can do to move from experimentation to scalable impact.

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Dubai Innovation Ecosystem Map: 12 Key Players Ranked by AI Strength
Soheil Abbasi • Mar 7, 2026

Dubai Innovation Ecosystem Map: 12 Key Players Ranked by AI Strength

Dubai’s startup ecosystem is not one thing. It is a layered network of public innovation platforms, startup hubs, investors, and market-entry players. This guide maps the key players in Dubai and highlights which ones appear strongest on AI, helping founders and innovation leaders understand where the real signals are.

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AI Automation Is Not Digital Transformation
Soheil Abbasi • Mar 7, 2026

AI Automation Is Not Digital Transformation

Today’s AI boom has made one confusion dangerously common: many organizations now mistake automation for digital transformation. But removing friction from tasks is not the same as redesigning how a business creates, delivers, and captures value. This article explores the difference between AI-driven automation and true business model evolution and why that distinction matters more than ever.

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Why Family Businesses Misunderstand Digital Transformation in MENA
Soheil Abbasi • Mar 6, 2026

Why Family Businesses Misunderstand Digital Transformation in MENA

In MENA, many family businesses do not misunderstand technology — they misunderstand transformation. Too often, digital transformation is treated as a technology rollout rather than a redesign of governance, decision-making, and value creation. That mistake matters in a region where family firms sit at the center of economic life.

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The Illusion of AI Innovation
Soheil Abbasi • Mar 6, 2026

The Illusion of AI Innovation

The global race to become an “AI powerhouse” is accelerating, and the GCC is at the forefront of this ambition. Governments are investing billions in AI strategies, data centers, and partnerships with global tech giants. But a deeper question is rarely asked: how much of this activity represents genuine innovation and how much is simply the adoption of powerful tools built elsewhere? This piece explores the growing illusion of AI innovation and why real transformation requires more than infrastructure, funding, and headlines.

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Why Every Company Needs a Chief Alignment Officer (CAO)
Soheil Abbasi • Jul 30, 2025

Why Every Company Needs a Chief Alignment Officer (CAO)

Most companies obsess over growth and execution but ignore the quiet killer: misalignment. In this op-ed, Soheil Abbasi argues for a new C-level role: the Chief Alignment Officer. When no one owns alignment, vision drifts, teams pull in different directions, and strategy falls apart. It’s time to fix that.

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