ERM Reimagined in the Middle East 2026

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From Readiness to Resilience — Protiviti ERM Survey 2026, Middle East

Five years after Protiviti's last Middle East ERM Readiness Assessment, the regional picture has changed materially. Enterprise Risk Management is now structurally embedded in the governance and operating model of most large, governance-led organisations across the GCC and wider Middle East. The question is no longer whether ERM exists. It is whether ERM shapes the decisions that matter: capital allocation, strategy, AI and cyber governance, and resilience. Drawing on more than 100 responses from senior and executive risk stakeholders, this report benchmarks regional ERM maturity across seven pillars and sets out a practical 90- to 180-day action agenda for boards and executive teams.

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Topics

Risk Management and Regulatory Compliance

Survey at a Glance

More than 100 responses from senior and executive risk stakeholders across the region

54 %

of respondents sit at C-suite, senior-management, or Board level

65 %

of respondent organisations have more than 500 employees

85 %

of respondent organisations already operate a formal ERM programme

Organisations span government and semi-government entities, listed companies, banks, financial services, and large private-sector groups

Where Regional ERM Stands Today

Strong foundations:

91% report a standardised process to identify and rate risks across all areas
88% have ERM objectives formally documented and linked to strategy
84% confirm the Chief Risk Officer, or equivalent, has unrestricted access to the CEO and Board
84% independently test and report control effectiveness
81% have a Board that reviews and approves a written risk appetite annually

Capabilities still maturing:

Only 29% have integrated AI into risk processes and decision-making
Only 29% conduct formal AI-specific risk assessments
Only 34% have documented AI governance with human oversight
Only 51% link executive compensation to risk-management performance
Only 50% run ERM or GRC technology on a dedicated automated platform
Only 60% identify, assess, and monitor third-party and vendor risk

What You Will Learn

Where Middle East ERM has genuinely matured since the 2020 baseline, and where progress has stalled
Why structural ERM has arrived while strategic influence has not
The seven pillars used to benchmark regional ERM maturity, from strategy and governance through to culture
Why AI governance is the widest capability gap identified in the survey
How combined assurance across ERM, internal audit, compliance, and IT risk strengthens board-level insight
A practical 90- to 180-day action agenda, with milestones and possible owners, to move from ERM presence to ERM performance

Key Insights Covered

Strategy and Governance: How risk appetite and pre-investment risk reviews are applied in practice, not just documented.
Leadership and Accountability: Why only half of organizations tie risk performance to executive compensation.
Data and Technology: The gap between strong risk-data foundations and weak AI-specific governance.
Talent and Capabilities: Why only 45% of risk professionals report understanding AI technologies and their risk impact.
Risk Identification and Assessment: Third-party risk and structured opportunity management as the two clearest gaps.
Risk Controls and Mitigation: The state of crisis management, business continuity, and combined assurance across the three lines.
Culture and Continuous Improvement: Why measured risk culture remains the least-developed lever for embedding ERM.

Download the Thought Leadership

Benchmark your organisation's ERM maturity against more than 100 senior risk leaders across the Middle East, and access the full 90- to 180-day Call to Action agenda for boards and executive teams.

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