Dubai continues to consolidate its position as one of the most mature economic environments in governance and risk management, with institutions increasingly integrating artificial intelligence and data analytics into decision-making — strengthening business resilience, accelerating responses to market changes, and transforming risk management from a traditional function into a strategic growth partner.
A recent study by Coface covering 1,250 business leaders across 13 countries found that slow decision-making is one of the most significant obstacles to corporate expansion, with 68% of respondents identifying it as a key challenge limiting growth.
In response, organisations globally are moving to accelerate decision-making processes by deploying AI and advanced analytics, redefining the role of risk management from a traditional supervisory function to a strategic enabler.
Within this context, Dubai has emerged as an advanced model in governance practice maturity. The study found that 32% of institutions in the emirate involve risk management departments from the idea-development stage, compared with a global average of 24%, while 36% of business leaders view risk management as a strategic partner in supporting growth.
In addition, 82% of institutions in Dubai give high priority to AI-based solutions to improve decision quality and accelerate response times.
Despite this progress, the findings point to the persistence of certain internal challenges within business environments, most notably slow decision-making and fragmented data. Some 52% of companies indicated that their data is distributed across multiple systems and markets, limiting the formation of a unified view of risks and opportunities.
Furthermore, 59% of institutions believe that risk management recommendations are sometimes considered overly cautious, leading to slower decision cycles and reduced operational agility.
Mohamed Gomaa, Chief Executive and Regional Director for the Gulf and Egypt at Coface, said: