Artefact and HEC Paris Doha have announced a strategic partnership to develop and deliver executive-level artificial intelligence education and capability-building programmes across the Middle East and North Africa. The collaboration brings together HEC Paris’s established expertise in leadership development and executive education with Artefact’s practical experience implementing data and AI transformation projects for governments and major enterprises.
The initiative builds directly on an existing partnership between the two organisations in France. Regional delivery will begin in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with Doha serving as the base for subsequent expansion into other MENA markets. The partners have not disclosed specific programme launch dates, enrolment targets or commercial terms.
Unlike many AI training programmes aimed primarily at technical professionals, the new offerings are designed for individuals responsible for setting organisational direction. Target participants include government ministers, board members, executive teams and senior leaders across both public- and private-sector organisations. These decision-makers increasingly need to move beyond understanding individual AI tools. They must assess where AI can create value, prioritise investments, establish governance frameworks and determine how new capabilities will reshape operating models.
The curriculum will cover AI strategy and value creation, investment and risk evaluation, governance arrangements, operating-model design, and the redesign of services and business processes. Workforce capability development and organisational adoption will also form part of the programmes, alongside practical applications of generative AI and agentic AI. Emphasis on governance reflects the practical challenges executives face when introducing systems that can influence decisions or perform complex tasks.
Organisations must decide how responsibility is assigned, how risks are evaluated and where human oversight remains essential. Operating-model redesign presents a related issue: inserting AI into an existing process does not automatically define how teams, responsibilities and workflows should adapt. By addressing these questions, the partnership aims to help leaders treat AI as an organisational transformation matter rather than solely a technology procurement decision.
HEC Paris Doha will contribute its faculty, executive-education expertise, leadership-development capabilities and regional institutional network. The school has operated in Doha since joining Qatar Foundation in 2010 to provide management education and research. Artefact will supply AI practitioners, applied transformation experience and real-world business cases drawn from its work with governments and enterprises.
The firm operates in 27 countries and works with more than 1,000 clients globally. Its Middle East experience includes engagements in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE across telecommunications, tourism, energy and government services.
Rahul Arya, Managing Partner and CEO of Artefact Middle East, Southeast Asia and India, described the collaboration as a means of helping leaders convert AI ambitions into sustainable organisational impact. Joshua Kobb, Chief Growth and Impact Officer at HEC Paris Doha, stressed the importance of linking AI’s potential with strategic choices, responsible adoption and long-term value creation.
Beyond executive programmes, the agreement creates opportunities for broader talent development. Artefact practitioners are expected to contribute to HEC Paris courses and masterclasses, giving students exposure to practical AI transformation challenges. Planned activities also include hackathons, applied student projects, internships and regional career pathways. These elements aim to connect academic learning with the skills organisations require when developing and implementing AI solutions, extending the partnership’s reach from current executives to emerging professionals. The announcement does not specify the number of internships, student placements or academic activities that will be delivered.
Qatar and Saudi Arabia will serve as the initial markets. Both countries are pursuing substantial digital-transformation and AI-capability programmes across government and industry, providing a natural focus for the first phase of delivery. For HEC Paris Doha the collaboration reinforces its regional role in supporting leadership development and organisational competitiveness. For Artefact it creates an additional channel through which applied AI expertise can support capability-building among senior decision-makers.
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The next milestones will be the introduction of individual programmes, confirmation of delivery formats and expansion into additional MENA markets. At present the announcement establishes a strategic education partnership rather than reporting completed training cohorts or measurable outcomes. The partners have positioned the initiative as a practical response to the growing need for senior leaders to evaluate AI investments, design governance structures and translate emerging technologies into lasting organisational change across the region.
