Regions · Saudi Arabia

Fractional CTO and AI architect for Saudi Arabia

Technology leadership for Saudi founders, enterprises and investors, with AI and data platforms designed for the Personal Data Protection Law, data transfer rules and bilingual users.

Book a 30-min call → Analyse your challenge

Who this is for

  • Founders and scale-ups in Riyadh, Jeddah and the Eastern Province who need senior technical leadership.
  • Enterprises and family groups modernising core systems and setting an AI strategy.
  • Regional companies expanding between Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the wider GCC.
  • Investors backing Saudi technology companies.

What shapes technology decisions in Saudi Arabia

The Personal Data Protection Law has been enforceable since September 2024, administered by the Saudi Data and AI Authority13. Transfers of personal data outside the Kingdom need an appropriate basis and safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, with risk assessments required in some cases2. For AI systems that often call hosted models abroad, the design question is what data leaves the country, and whether it needs to.

Rule or standardWho it touchesWhat it means for architecture
PDPLOrganisations processing personal data in the KingdomData mapping, lawful basis, retention and data subject rights designed into platforms
Transfer regulationsAnyone sending personal data abroad, including to AI APIsIn-country processing for sensitive data, minimisation and documented transfer safeguards
Arabic-first usersCustomer-facing productsBilingual retrieval, Arabic normalisation and per-language evaluation

Related reading: Saudi PDPL and cross-border AI, a bilingual Arabic and English assistant and private LLMs on-prem.

Typical first projects

  1. An AI strategy and architecture review grounded in PDPL and transfer rules.
  2. Arabic and English knowledge assistants with citations and in-country hosting.
  3. Platform modernisation with cloud, data and security foundations.
  4. Technical due diligence for investors.

Time zones

Riyadh is one hour behind the UAE, so Saudi teams share my full working day, including the Sunday to Thursday week where needed.

How engagements work

  • Architecture and AI readiness review (2 to 4 weeks): a clear picture of the current platform, risks and a prioritised roadmap.
  • Fractional CTO (ongoing, part-time): technical strategy, architecture governance, hiring and board-level communication.
  • Build and hand-off: hands-on delivery of a platform or AI capability, documented so your team can run it.
  • Technical due diligence: an independent view of a target's technology for investors and acquirers.

Every engagement starts with a free 30-minute call. See how I work for the full process.

References
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
FAQ

Common questions

Do you work with companies in Saudi Arabia?

Yes. Riyadh is one hour behind the UAE, so I work on Saudi hours and travel for workshops when they add value.

How does the PDPL affect sending data to AI providers abroad?

Transfers outside the Kingdom need an appropriate basis and safeguards, and risk assessments apply in some cases. I design architectures that keep sensitive processing in the country and minimise what leaves it; your counsel confirms the legal position.

Can you build AI that works well in Arabic?

Yes. I design bilingual retrieval, evaluation sets that score Arabic and English separately, and model selection based on your own questions.

Keep reading

Related

ServiceFractional CTO in the UAEI work with founders, enterprises and investors across the UAE and the Gulf on AI, data and technology leadership, with an eye on local data-protection rules and residency from day one.→ServiceAI & LLM architectureI design and build AI systems that leadership can trust: grounded in your data, measured by evaluations, governed by your rules and priced so they make sense at scale.→ServiceFractional CTOI work as a part-time CTO for founders, CEOs and boards who need experienced technical judgement now, and a team that can carry it on after I step back.→InsightSame model, two ways to buy it: what Anthropic-managed Claude on Google Cloud changes for platform teamsSince 22 October, Google Cloud customers can use the full Claude Platform run by Anthropic, billed and authenticated through Google Cloud, alongside the existing Google-managed option. That is more than a procurement detail: who processes your data, where, and how quickly features arrive now differ by which door you use.→
Open to advisory, fractional CTO & select builds

Let's talk about what you're building.

The fastest route is a free 30-minute call. Prefer to write? Send a message and I'll reply personally within two business days.

Book a 30-min call → Send a message or analyse your challenge first →
Start a conversation

How would you like to reach me?

Book a 30-min callFastest. Pick any open slot on my calendar.→ Write in GmailOpens a pre-filled draft in your browser.→ Use my email appOutlook, Apple Mail or your default client.→

I reply personally within two business days. Time zones from the Americas and Europe to the Middle East and Asia-Pacific.