Gulf banks want AI, but worry about customer data security
Banks in the Gulf region are eager to adopt artificial intelligence but remain concerned about protecting sensitive customer information. Experts believe trust and data control will determine how quickly the technology is deployed.
Banks across the Gulf are showing strong interest in artificial intelligence tools that can speed up routine tasks, analyze documents, and boost productivity. However, many financial institutions are still grappling with a fundamental question: how to use the technology without putting sensitive customer data at risk.
Najla Ibrahim Al-Mutawa, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at QNB, says the debate goes beyond efficiency. For her, the key is whether generative AI can be deployed in a way that protects trust, safeguards data, and meets regulatory expectations.
Sami Mian, CEO of Blade Labs, explains that banks are comfortable with the AI systems themselves but are worried about what information those systems can access. His company has developed ZeroH Disclosure, a platform that automatically limits the data shared with AI tools and keeps an audit trail of what was disclosed and why.
AI and digital transformation adviser Alina Timofeeva notes that generative AI is forcing financial institutions to rethink data management. She emphasizes that in banking, trust is the product, and institutions must clearly define who can access data, how it is used, and who is accountable if something goes wrong.
Regulators in the Gulf are tightening rules around data protection, cybersecurity, and AI governance while pushing for digital transformation. Al-Mutawa observes that banks are becoming more selective: low-risk experimentation is treated differently from applications involving customer data and other sensitive information.
Similar thinking is applied in Islamic finance. Blade Labs is developing Ask Ali, an AI assistant designed to help professionals research standards, review documents, and navigate Shariah-related questions while maintaining human oversight.
All three experts agree that trust will be the decisive factor in how quickly banks adopt AI. Mian concludes that institutions that solve the control problem first will be able to use AI more freely, while those that cannot will remain stuck in pilots, restrictions, and internal approvals.
