As enterprises worldwide race to become their own AI and data platforms over the next three years, EnterpriseDB (EDB) sees that the Gulf region is out in front. EDB has opened a new regional headquarters in the Gulf area to help local organizations accelerate their paths to data and AI sovereignty.“This region is one of the most future forward and innovation focused,” said Kash Rafique, VP and general manager of Middle East and Africa at EDB. “Our new office will serve as a regional hub to deepen collaboration with customers and partners, and it will support the region’s unique and complex requirements for sovereign AI.”A sovereign-minded market Across the region, national AI strategies have catalyzed investment in skills, platforms, and governance, raising the bar on data stewardship and accelerating enterprise readiness. But this momentum isn’t only geopolitical or led by policy. It’s increasingly a private-sector choice, as boards push for innovation without sacrificing control over where data and models live.That enterprise demand shows up in the numbers: In EDB’s global study of 2,050 executives across 13 economies, the region posted the highest share of organizations “Deeply Committed” to data and AI sovereignty, at 17% versus a 13% global average. These leaders deploy roughly twice as many mainstream AI applications, report up to 5x higher ROI from AI, and are 2.5x more confident they will lead their industries within three years.EDB says the region’s combination of executive conviction and platform ambition is creating a “sovereign hub” effect—clusters of enterprises treating AI and data as sovereign assets that attract capital, talent, and partner ecosystems, compounding each other’s success. The result is an enterprise culture that sees sovereignty as a foundation for a growth flywheel that compounds innovation speed, customer experience, and cost efficiency.**media[375219]**Turning sovereignty from vision to practice “Sovereignty without ownership is only half the equation,” said Rafique. “Enterprises can’t believe in sovereignty as a theoretical idea—they have to design, build, and operate their AI and data platforms on their own terms.” Turning intent into reality, he added, requires deliberate design at the infrastructure level and consistent execution.EDB’s research identifies four practices that separate those achieving durable ROI from those still experimenting:Build for sovereignty from day one. Treat data and AI as a single platform, with policy and observability embedded at design time—not bolted on.Run AI where the work is. Use a hybrid approach to place workloads in the most performant, cost-effective, and compliant environment as needs change.Standardize on open technology. Avoid lock-in; keep optionality as markets and regulations evolve. Postgres® is a frequent choice for new agentic/GenAI applications (30% AI leaders are already building on this).Invest in skills and operating models. Pair platform decisions with local expertise—solution architects, data stewards, SREs—and clear ownership so that sovereignty accelerates delivery rather than slowing it. Building a winning architecture for the next decadeThe next three years could define a generational divide between those who operationalize sovereignty and those who talk about it. The former could achieve speed, scale, and ROI; while the latter could face growing compliance and opportunity gaps.The practical playbook is clear: Unify AI and data, design hybrid first, and preserve architectural choice with open technology.EDB is aligning its technology and ecosystem to that vision with its sovereign, open source–based platform, EDB Postgres AI (EDB PG AI). Through hybrid management and unified observability, enterprises can innovate faster, scale securely, and move new AI applications into production up to three times faster than they can with traditional architectures.A long-term commitment to the Gulf EDB’s effort is ecosystem first, combining EDB’s platform with partners in infrastructure, cloud, and systems integration, while investing in certifications and training to grow regional talent.“We’re investing for the long haul across the Gulf,” said Rafique. “That means ongoing hiring, ecosystem partnerships, and local enablement to help customers move their agentic and GenAI from pilots to production with clear ROI, securely and on their terms.”