IBM’s Lula Mohanty on why UAE businesses are ahead in AI adoption GULF BUSINESS July 28, 2025 Follow us Follow on Google News Follow on Facebook Follow on Instagram Follow on X Follow on LinkedIn The UAE has emerged as a surprising but confident frontrunner in AI governance, according to a new IBM study. Developed by the IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) in collaboration with the Dubai Future Foundation, the report reveals that UAE businesses lead the world in appointing Chief AI Officers (CAIOs), a sign that organisations here see AI not just as a tech upgrade, but as a critical enabler of future growth. In an exclusive interview with Gulf Business, Lula Mohanty, managing partner for IBM Consulting across the Middle East and Africa, shared her insights on the regional implications of the study and how IBM is helping organisations operationalise AI at scale. Read the full story here.