Everyone wants in on the AI gold rush. In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), a new study from IBM shows that 77% of Chief Data Officers (CDOs) are prioritizing investments to accelerate their company’s AI capabilities.
Here’s the problem: most of them are building on a shaky foundation.
A global study by the IBM Institute for Business Value, which surveyed 1,700 senior data executives, reveals a massive and widening gap between AI ambition and readiness. While 76% of MEA CDOs claim their data strategy is integrated with their tech roadmap – a significant jump from 55% in 2023 – it seems to be mostly talk.
When pressed, only 25% are confident their data can actually support new AI-enabled revenue streams.
The report identifies the all-too-familiar culprits: data is inaccessible, incomplete, lacks integrity, and is plagued by accuracy and consistency issues. Essentially, you can’t build generative AI models on a pile of junk data, and many companies are just now realizing it.
“Leaders are moving fast from AI pilots to business outcomes,” noted Saad Toma, General Manager for IBM Middle East and Africa, framing the challenge as one of execution. The report suggests the winning strategy is “bringing AI to the data, not the other way around,” a tactic 75% of MEA CDOs surveyed claim to be using.
Here are the key findings from the study.
The CDO’s job is changing, and they’re struggling
The role of the Chief Data Officer has shifted from being a simple “data custodian” to a “business strategist.” According to the study, 90% of MEA CDOs say they must focus on business outcomes to succeed.
But they’re having a hard time proving their own value.
- Only 28% of MEA respondents “strongly agree” they can clearly convey how data actually facilitates business results.
- Even fewer, just 27%, have clear measures in place to determine the value of data-driven business outcomes.
This is a major issue, as “deploying data for competitive advantage” is now their top priority, even ahead of governance. While 78% of MEA CDOs say their unique data products have given them a competitive edge, they seem to be struggling to articulate or measure how.
The AI-Data Gap is real
The AI hype is real, but the data isn’t ready. A major roadblock is unstructured data – the text, images, and audio files that are crucial for training modern AI. Only 27% of MEA CDOs are confident their organization can use unstructured data in a way that delivers business value.
Companies are trying, but they’re building the plane as it’s taking off:
- 68% of surveyed MEA leaders have started developing diverse datasets to train AI agents.
- But 79% admit they are still in the “early process” of defining how to scale and govern those datasets.
Despite this chaos, the optimism is unshakable. 75% of MEA respondents believe the potential benefits of deploying AI agents outweigh the risks, and 70% are “comfortable” with their organization relying on outcomes from those AI agents – even as they admit they don’t have governance figured out.
The talent crisis is exploding
Perhaps the most alarming finding is the sudden, massive skills gap.
Last year, in 2023, only 28% of MEA CDOs identified finding talent as a top challenge. In 2025, that number has nearly doubled.
Now, 54% of MEA CDOs say attracting, developing, and retaining talent with advanced data skills is a top challenge.
The talent pipeline appears to be broken.
- 79% of surveyed MEA leaders are struggling to fill key data roles.
- Only 51% say their recruiting and retention efforts are delivering the skills and experience needed, a drop from 66% in 2024.
This people-problem undermines the new push for a “data-driven culture.” While 72% of leaders say data democratization (giving more people access) helps them move faster, and 64% say data is “wasted” if it isn’t shared, they are finding it nearly impossible to hire the people needed to manage, analyze, and protect that data.
About the study: The IBM Institute for Business Value, working with Oxford Economics, surveyed 1,700 senior data and analytics leaders (including Chief Data Officers, Chief Analytics Officers, and Chief AI Officers). The survey was conducted between July and September 2025 across 27 geographies and 19 industries.
