AI in GCC Banking: From Pilots to Platforms
In Part 1, we explored the conundrum GCC banks face: plenty of AI pilots, but few that truly scale.
Why? Because the challenge is not starting AI – it’s scaling AI with impact.
Across the region, we see chatbots deployed, fraud detection models tested, and AI-powered scoring tools being widely used. But these often remain in silos, disconnected from the bank’s wider transformation agenda.
The result? Limited business value, limited customer impact.
So, what does it take to move from proof of concept to proof of value?
Three critical shifts stand out:
- Data as the New Core
AI without clean, connected, and contextual data is like building on sand. GCC banks often deal with fragmented systems and legacy infrastructures that slow transformation. Without it, AI remains experimental. Building a unified data foundation – real-time, trusted, and secure – is the first step toward AI at scale.
- Data as the New Core
- AI Beyond IT
Scaling AI isn’t just the CIO’s responsibility. To deliver real impact, business unit heads must individually and collectively own AI outcomes – embedding them into customer journeys, risk management, compliance, and operations. The shift is from tech-led pilots to business-led transformation.
- AI Beyond IT
- Trust at the Center
Banking in the GCC is trust-driven. Customers expect transparency, regulators demand accountability, and cultural expectations shape adoption. Responsible AI – explainable, ethical, and aligned to local values – is not optional; it’s the foundation for sustainable innovation and key to determining adoption and long-term success.
Simply: AI in GCC banking must move from being a “project” to becoming a “platform.”
That means embedding AI into the very DNA of the bank – its strategy, processes, and culture – not just its technology stack. This is easier said than done and there is no easy and quick fix for this.
The opportunity is massive. Those who succeed will unlock new levels of personalization, efficiency, and resilience for the long term aligned to the strategy of the bank. Those who don’t risk being left behind as digital transformation accelerates across the region.
In Part 3 of this series, we’ll explore what it takes to build AI-ready operating models in GCC banks – and why orchestration, not technology, will be the true game-changer.