The conversation around artificial intelligence in the Middle East is evolving rapidly. While the past few years were marked by a rush to adopt AI tools and platforms, businesses and governments are now turning their attention to a more strategic question: who truly owns the intelligence generated by these systems?

Industry experts say the region is entering a new phase of AI maturity, where concerns about sovereignty, governance and long-term value creation are becoming as important as the technology itself.

According to Dr. Moataz BinAli, CEO of Magna AI, many organisations have invested heavily in AI projects but have not fully considered whether they control the infrastructure, data and insights driving those systems. “For the past few years, organisations have focused on adopting AI as quickly as possible,” he said. “But very few have stopped to ask a more fundamental question: do they actually own the intelligence their AI is creating?”

The shift reflects a growing belief that AI should be viewed not merely as a technology investment but as a strategic capability. “AI is no longer simply a technology investment. It is becoming a strategic capability,” BinAli said. “The organisations that create the greatest long-term value will be those that own every layer of their AI value chain.”

This has given rise to a new concept that some industry leaders call “return on intelligence” — a metric that goes beyond traditional return on investment by focusing on ownership of the data, insights and competitive advantages generated by AI systems. “Traditional ROI measures whether AI delivers efficiencies or cost savings. Return on intelligence asks a different question: who ultimately owns the value that AI creates?” BinAli said.

Dr. Moataz BinAli, CEO of Magna AI

Data governance is emerging as a key battleground. As AI becomes increasingly embedded in decision-making and critical business operations, organisations are paying closer attention to where data is stored, who has access to it and how it is managed. “The most valuable asset in any AI system is not the model itself. It is the data that the model learns from, and the intelligence which that data generates over time,” BinAli noted.

Infrastructure is also becoming a strategic concern, particularly as enterprises seek greater control over mission-critical workloads. “Sovereign AI infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority,” BinAli said. “It provides the control, resilience, and governance needed to build AI that organisations can operate with confidence over the long term.”

The trend is particularly relevant in the Gulf, where governments have made AI a national priority. Rather than retrofitting governance frameworks onto existing systems, many organisations are building AI ecosystems with sovereignty and control in mind from the outset. “The Middle East has a unique opportunity because it is building much of its AI ecosystem at a moment when sovereignty has already become a strategic priority,” BinAli said.

As AI Appreciation Day approaches on July 16, experts say the debate is no longer about whether organisations should embrace artificial intelligence. Instead, the focus is shifting toward ensuring that the value created by AI remains under the control of those who build and deploy it — a trend likely to shape the next decade of digital transformation across the region.