CEO – Middle East (AI Start-up)

Package: AED 75,000 per month + ESOP

A Berlin-headquartered AI start-up is appointing a CEO for the Middle East to lead regional strategy, commercial growth, and end-to-end execution.

This is a true “build and scale” mandate: you’ll take ownership of market entry/expansion, revenue, partnerships, team build-out, and operational delivery, acting as the senior face of the business across the GCC.

You will define the go-to-market plan, validate product–market fit with regional customers, and build a predictable pipeline across enterprise and strategic accounts.

You’ll lead complex sales cycles, shape pricing and packaging, and create the partner ecosystem (systems integrators, channel partners, government and semi-government stakeholders where relevant).

Internally, you’ll build the regional team and operating rhythm, ensuring strong hiring, performance management, and delivery standards.

You’ll work closely with the Berlin HQ leadership and product teams, translating market feedback into roadmap priorities and ensuring the region scales without losing speed or quality.

We’re looking for a commercially driven operator with strong leadership presence and a track record scaling B2B technology businesses in the Middle East, ideally in AI, data, SaaS, or enterprise software.

You should be comfortable owning a number, building from zero to one, and then scaling with discipline.

You’ll need excellent stakeholder management, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to operate confidently across C-level buyers, partners, and internal teams.

Experience selling into regulated or complex environments (finance, government, healthcare, critical infrastructure) is a plus, as is a strong network across the GCC.

Desired: prior experience leading a regional P&L, building and managing high-performing commercial teams, and closing large enterprise deals with long sales cycles.

You should be hands-on, resilient, and able to make fast decisions with imperfect information, while maintaining strong governance and reporting to HQ.

German is not required; cultural fluency across the Middle East business environment is.

A commercially driven, hands-on leader with a proven track record scaling B2B technology businesses in the Middle East, ideally within AI, data, SaaS, or enterprise software.

You should have experience owning a regional P&L, building go-to-market from scratch, and then scaling with disciplined execution, including hiring and leading high-performing commercial teams.

Strong enterprise sales capability is essential, with evidence of closing large, complex deals and navigating long sales cycles with C-level stakeholders.

You’ll need excellent partner-building skills across the GCC, confidence operating in fast-changing start-up environments, and the resilience to make high-quality decisions with imperfect information while maintaining clear governance and reporting back to HQ.

Experience selling into regulated or complex sectors is a plus, and deep cultural fluency in the Middle East business environment is expected.