Across the Middle East, recent cyber incidents have made one thing clear: cybercriminals are no longer just targeting systems, they are targeting the data that underpins organisations and public services. As AI becomes embedded into everyday operations, this shift is forcing organisations to rethink how sensitive data is governed, protected, and recovered.
Our recent research in the UAE highlights a growing gap between compliance and resilience. While 66% of organisations report full compliance with national data protection laws, a third still struggle to keep pace with evolving regulation, and 62% are now actively monitoring compliance across third-party and cloud providers. This reflects how data sovereignty and AI governance have moved from policy discussions to operational priorities.
In the AI era, the starting point for data privacy should be simple. The question is no longer what organisations can do with AI, but whether their data is ready for AI to be used responsibly and legally. That requires clarity over where data resides, what is sensitive, and how it can be accessed or recovered.
This is driving growing interest in sovereign AI across the region, as organisations seek greater control over data location, access, and recovery. A sovereignty-first approach strengthens compliance and trust, but it must be balanced with frameworks that still allow innovation and collaboration to scale.
By 2026, data privacy will no longer be defined solely by policy. It will be measured by an organisation’s ability to protect data, verify its integrity, and recover quickly in the event of disruption. Those that embed privacy and resilience by design will be best positioned to benefit from AI without increasing risk.
