Study says most Middle East boards go beyond oversight and are driving success

A unique study that examines how boards across the region drive organisational value, reveals a new generation of boards that are shifting from compliance-led oversight to strategic engines of long-term value creation.

It found out that 94 per cent of respondents described their board processes as efficient, while pointing out to poor information quality (41 per cent) and rigid decision frameworks (38 per cent) as key barriers to agile decision-making.

Boards evolving into strategic value drivers

These results were part of the inaugural Middle East edition of its flagship Board Value Index, a study conducted by Board Intelligence, a board technology and advisory firm. It aims to track the value that boards deliver for their organisations, identify the key challenges they face, and uncover opportunities to enhance their contribution to long-term success.

The Board Value Index is based on data from board directors from companies with over £50 million (US$66.6 million) in revenue across the Middle East.

Nearly half of directors (48 per cent) surveyed, view their boards as essential tools for value creation, underscoring widespread confidence in their ability to manage risk and unlock organisational performance. The survey also highlights a region of capable, efficient, and well-aligned boards constrained by information and process challenges.

Commenting on the inaugural report, Pippa Begg, CEO of Board Intelligence, said: “We are privileged to launch our first-ever Board Value Index for the region. The Middle East’s boardrooms are entering a new era of strategic confidence. As economies evolve and regional integration accelerates, boards are no longer content with oversight alone – they are stepping up as architects of performance and national progress.

“The challenge now is to make that confidence count by looking further forward. In a world of rapid change, the most valuable boards are those that can turn insight into foresight and governance into growth.”

The challenges

The findings set the stage for leaders to evolve boardroom practices to become even more forward- and insight-driven.

Directors will need to sharpen how they use their time, the quality of information that fuels their decisions, and the agility of their decision-making frameworks to enhance foresight, risk preparedness, and strategic responsiveness.

The Board Value Index reveals that most Middle East boards still dedicate more time to looking back than looking ahead. Only 21 per cent of directors report an even split in meetings between reviewing past performance and planning for the future, while 41 per cent spend more time looking backwards than forwards. Only 38 per cent of boards take a more forward-focused approach.

This imbalance suggests that the majority of boards are not yet prioritising forward-looking, strategic conversations. This also signals a major opportunity to evolve how board time is used and to embed a more future-focused agenda centred on strategy, innovation, and long-term value creation.

In some of the other findings…

• The study also finds boards across the Middle East are deeply aligned with national and regional transformation priorities, with 48 per cent of boards described themselves as “actively leading” the Middle East’s integration and diversification agenda, while a further 50 per cent are “engaged contributors”. This combined 98 per cent demonstrates alignment, but highlights an opportunity for boards to take a leading, and not just participatory, role.

• More than three-fifths boards (60 per cent) reported “extremely effective” alignment, with national transformation agendas such as Saudi Vision 2030 and UAE Vision 2050. Another 37 per cent say they are moderately aligned.

• Nearly three out of five (58 per cent) of Middle East directors said their boards have a strong capacity to anticipate geopolitical shifts, demonstrating proactive scenario planning and risk modelling, while another 41 per cent report moderate readiness, meaning they are more responsive than anticipatory.

• Sixty per cent directors expressed high confidence in their ability to oversee and respond effectively to a major cybersecurity or data breach incident in line with Middle East regulatory and data protection requirements, noting that their boards have clear protocols and defined response frameworks. The remaining 40 per cent expressed moderate confidence.

• A majority of directors (61 per cent) said they were very confident in their board’s ability to manage relationships with sovereign or government stakeholders such as regulators, investment authorities, and state shareholders, citing structured engagement and regular dialogue practices. Rest 39 per cent are somewhat confident, resulting in a 100 per cent net confidence level across Middle East boards.

Board intelligence

These findings portray a boardroom culture defined by confidence, discipline, and purpose — yet also one that is evolving from alignment to anticipation, the study concluded.

Board Intelligence is trusted by more than 80,000 global leaders with the science of board effectiveness.

Board Intelligence’s Board Value Index is based on independent research conducted among more than 300 board directors across the UK, US, Canada, and the GCC. The Middle East edition of the Index surveyed 100 board directors from across the GCC, including the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman.