SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
Boards across the Middle East, including the UAE, are emerging as global leaders in artificial intelligence governance, innovation and future-focused decision-making, according to the latest Board Value Index 2026 report by Board Intelligence, EMEA's largest board technology and advisory firm.
The report — which surveyed more than 400 non-executive directors, CEOs and CFOs across the Middle East, UK, US and Nordic countries — found that those in the region are among the world's most confident in their ability to create value and drive innovation.
Some 42% of directors in the region view their boards as an essential tool for value creation, the study said. Meanwhile, 86% believe their boards enable innovation, the highest level recorded among all regions surveyed.
Speaking to Aletihad, Pippa Begg, CEO of Board Intelligence, said the findings reflect the growing maturity and sophistication of governance across the UAE.
"The confidence of the region's boards is one of the standout findings from the research. Boards here are becoming increasingly sophisticated; they treat governance as a strategic tool rather than a compliance forum, and they hold themselves to a high bar," she said.
According to the report, the UAE is also helping shape global conversations around AI governance. More than half of boards in the region (58%) are actively reviewing which decisions should remain human-led and which can be supported by artificial intelligence as the technology becomes increasingly embedded across organisations.
"The region's boards are engaging with this more proactively than their international peers," Begg said. "In the UAE, companies have adopted advanced technology fast, often leapfrogging the legacy systems that slow more established markets."
She added that directors in the UAE are increasingly embracing AI as a strategic tool while maintaining human accountability in decision making. "The question every board is now working through is where AI stops and human judgement takes over. AI can do the analytical heavy lifting, but the accountability and judgement calls stay with directors," she said.
The study also highlighted the UAE's strong innovation culture, which Begg attributed to the country's clear long-term vision and ambitious national strategies.
"Innovation is built on confidence, and confidence comes from clarity of direction. National agendas like 'We the UAE 2031' give boards and the companies they serve a shared sense of where the country is heading. That creates not just permission to innovate but an expectation of it," she said.
Begg noted that the UAE's combination of supportive government policies, rapid technology adoption and a future-oriented business environment has created favourable conditions for boards to focus on growth, transformation and competitiveness.
Begg said the UAE is exceptionally well positioned to lead globally in AI, digital transformation and future industries. "Few markets bring together forward-looking boards, a fast-moving economy, and national agendas that reward ambition in the way the UAE does," she said.