Artefact and HEC Paris Doha Launch Executive AI Program
The partnership provides strategic AI governance and risk management training to business and government leaders across the MENA region.
Updated on Oct. 28, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Data consultancy Artefact and HEC Paris Doha have announced a partnership to provide executive AI training for government and private sector leaders across the MENA region. The program aims to bridge the gap between AI theory and organizational application, with initial sessions launching in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
Why it matters
This initiative attempts to accelerate regional AI adoption by pairing technical practitioners with established academic leadership frameworks. It focuses on the strategic deployment of AI within organizational governance, moving beyond basic digital literacy for executives.
The curriculum is designed to address AI strategy, governance, and risk evaluation through the lens of operating-model design. While HEC Paris Doha leverages its faculty expertise, Artefact contributes real-world business cases and practitioner experience.
The players
Artefact
A global data and AI consulting firm specializing in technical implementation and business transformation.
HEC Paris Doha
A Doha-based graduate business school providing executive education and leadership development programs since 2010.
The details
The program combines academic leadership development from HEC Paris Doha with hands-on AI consulting methodology from Artefact. Participants will work through operating-model design, a framework for restructuring business processes to integrate automation. This collaborative curriculum requires practitioners to apply technical AI benchmarks directly to internal risk and governance workflows.
Timeline
HEC Paris Doha began regional operations in 2010.
The partnership agreement was finalized on October 28, 2026.
The Tech Race
This collaboration signals an effort to standardize executive AI competency across the Middle East and North Africa. It places both organizations in direct competition with international management consultancies already offering localized AI training programs to MENA leadership.
Government ministers and private sector executives in Qatar and Saudi Arabia will gain access to the curriculum first. Future talent initiatives, including internships and hackathons, are expected to provide additional access for the broader regional professional community.
The takeaway
The partnership highlights a shift toward practical AI governance training for high-level decision makers in the MENA region. Readers should watch for the expansion of these course offerings into additional MENA markets and the potential launch of associated professional hackathons.
Further reading
For more on the development of AI deployment strategies, visit our section on Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Consultancy-me.
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