Happy Friday everyone!

In today’s edition, we spotlight bold leadership voices shaping the Gulf’s economic future. From Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Holding Company CEO is calling out misinformation and urging international investors to seek credibility over titles. At the same time, the NIDLP CEO reminds us that young leaders need safe environments to grow — because even “baby sharks” need protection. Over in Dubai, the Future Foundation CEO sets the record straight: it’s not about always being number one, but striving for it with resilience and vision. Integrity, talent, and ambition — three pillars driving the region’s transformation.

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“We Built This Market With Integrity, We Must Defend It,” Says Saudi CEO on Consultant Crisis

📰 What is it about?

• Mohammed Al Qahtani, CEO of Saudi Arabia Holding Company, has raised concerns over a growing trend of self-styled digital consultants operating in Riyadh who lack genuine local insight and understanding of Saudi Arabia’s tech transformation.

• The issue came to light after a non-Saudi Arab consultant with multiple virtual C-suite titles publicly misrepresented the capabilities of “Allam,” Saudi Arabia’s sovereign Arabic large language model (LLM).

• The consultant based his critique on a low-rated mobile app, wrongly assuming it represented the official AI effort led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority (SDAIA).

• Al Qahtani clarified that the referenced app was unaffiliated with SDAIA and that Allam is an institutional-grade LLM hosted on platforms like Hugging Face and IBM Watsonx—not a consumer chatbot.

💡 Why it matters?

• Riyadh is becoming a global epicenter for AI and digital innovation, and the integrity of expert advice matters now more than ever for international stakeholders.

• Misinformation from self-proclaimed experts can mislead foreign investors and companies, damaging perceptions of Saudi Arabia’s genuine progress in the digital and AI sectors.

• The episode highlights a broader issue of superficial consultants using high-level titles to gain credibility without possessing the necessary context or verification skills.

• Al Qahtani’s warning reflects a broader push to ensure that the people advising international firms on Saudi Arabia are aligned with the nation’s vision and realities—not just loud voices with little substance.

🔜 What’s next?

• Local institutions and stakeholders may increasingly scrutinize who is positioned as an “expert” on Saudi Arabia’s tech landscape, especially in front of global audiences.

• There may be calls for clearer standards or verification mechanisms for consultants advising in national strategic sectors like AI and innovation.

• International investors are being urged to dig deeper when selecting local partners—choosing those with proven insight, not just prominent titles.

• Saudi Arabia’s leadership appears intent on defending the credibility of its tech ecosystem and ensuring that transformation efforts are accurately represented.

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Markets

NIDLP CEO Calls For Safer Environments To Nurture Young Leaders In Saudi Arabia

📰 What is it about?

• The CEO of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP), Suliman Almazroua, has issued a powerful reflection on leadership development, drawing from both professional experience and a personal encounter during a trip to the Maldives.

• In a widely shared post, he used the metaphor “Sharks are born sharks” to describe individuals with natural leadership instincts—those who take initiative even without experience or formal authority.

• However, he emphasized that even “born leaders” need time, support, and protection to fully grow into their potential, comparing young talent to baby sharks that must stay near the shore until they are strong enough to venture into deeper waters.

💡 Why it matters?

• The remarks highlight a common workplace issue: the suppression of emerging leaders by insecure or toxic managers who stifle growth through criticism rather than mentorship.

• As Saudi Arabia continues its rapid transformation under Vision 2030, nurturing the next generation of local leaders has become a strategic priority—especially in key sectors like industry, logistics, and innovation.

• The post serves as a reminder that recognizing talent isn’t enough; organizations must actively create safe and empowering environments for that talent to mature.

• By making this public call, the NIDLP CEO is encouraging a broader cultural shift toward leadership development and workplace protection for rising professionals.

🔜 What’s next?

• Organizations across Saudi Arabia—especially those in national transformation programs—may be urged to re-evaluate their leadership pipelines and management culture.

• There could be increased focus on mentorship frameworks, early-career development programs, and psychological safety within high-performance teams.

• Business leaders are expected to play a more active role in ensuring that “baby sharks” are not only identified but also protected from organizational politics and internal barriers.

• The CEO’s message aligns with a growing leadership philosophy in the Kingdom: that building national capacity isn’t just about investing in infrastructure—but investing in people.

Dubai’s Vision Is To Strive For #1 — Not Just Claim It, Says Future Foundation CEO

What is happening?

• HE Khalfan Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future Foundation, addressed global perceptions of Dubai’s ambition during his remarks at Dubai AI Week 2025.

• Responding to common critiques that Dubai often claims to be “the biggest, tallest, and number one,” Belhoul clarified that this mindset is not about vanity—but about setting bold visions to stay globally competitive.

• He compared Dubai’s strategy to venture capital logic—accepting some failures while doubling down on successful bets like DP World, Burj Khalifa, and breakthrough policy frameworks.

Why it matters:

• Dubai’s model of government-led innovation is often misunderstood as overconfident branding, but Belhoul’s comments reframed it as a strategic mindset centered on ambition, learning, and continuous iteration.

• Acknowledging past mistakes, he emphasized that failure is not punished but studied, mirroring how agile startups and VCs operate—making calculated pivots and investing in what works.

• This philosophy is particularly relevant in the AI space, where experimentation and risk-taking are essential for breakthroughs.

What’s next?

• The UAE is expected to continue doubling down on its “winning bets”, both tangible (like infrastructure megaprojects) and intangible (such as agile governance and future-focused regulation).

• Global observers are being encouraged to view Dubai’s ambition not as a claim to perfection, but as a deliberate strategy to lead by vision and resilience.

• As AI and emerging tech reshape global cities, Dubai’s model could serve as a case study for how governments can balance bold vision with adaptive execution.

🔍From Smashi Business’ Desk

• Fuze, the region’s fastest-growing digital assets infrastructure firm, just raised $12.2M Series A led by Galaxy and e& capital.

• Saudi fintech erad just raised $16M in pre-Series A to supercharge SME financing across MENA!

🔍In other news…

• Trump's stablecoin being used for $2 bln Abu Dhabi investment in Binance, co-founder says.

• Crypto industry descends on Dubai as Trump euphoria recedes.

• Abu Dhabi’s ADQ Plots Next Act After Assets Double in Four Years: Bloomberg.

• Dubai real estate: Office rents surge over 20 percent as occupancy rates climb.

• Dubai’s RTA to deliver over 30 transport projects worth $11 billion in next three years.

• UAE waives late registration fines for corporate tax filers.

• Jordan wins exemption from Trump’s freeze on US aid.

• Abu Dhabi's Rotana ready for IPO pending green light from shareholders.

• UAE developer inks world’s largest real estate tokenisation deal.

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