{
  "id": 7258076,
  "title": "Arab business schools are facing the AI test: From traditional halls to smart universities",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/14/arab-business-schools-are-facing-the-ai-test-from-traditional-halls",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-14T05:33:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf Times",
    "slug": "gulf-times",
    "url": "https://www.gulf-times.com/article/733212/qatar/arab-business-schools-are-facing-the-ai-test-from-traditional-halls-to-smart-universities"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Arab business schools are facing the challenges of digital transformation as they strive to prepare students for evolving markets, according to Prof Dr Mohammed Abdulwahab al-Azzawi, an international expert in management and former adviser to Qatar’s Ministry of Administrative Development. Dr al-Azzawi emphasizes that digital transformation necessitates a fundamental overhaul of academic and administrative systems, fostering agile, responsive institutions capable of equipping graduates with data, AI, and technology skills.\n\nFor successful transformation, Dr al-Azzawi proposes a comprehensive assessment of each university's digital readiness, covering infrastructure, faculty capabilities, curriculum quality, and administrative systems' data generation. This diagnosis should form the basis for measurable goals, avoiding broad slogans or models that may not align with local needs. The next step involves integrating management knowledge with modern technology across disciplines, ensuring students grasp how technology influences decision-making, organizational behavior, and risk management.\n\nTo facilitate this shift, business programs should incorporate areas like Business Analytics, FinTech, Cybersecurity, and Artificial Intelligence in Management. Universities should depart from lecture-dominated teaching, embracing applied learning methods such as laboratories, projects, and case studies. Recognized professional certifications like Google Analytics and Microsoft Power BI can reinforce academic programs, provided they support defined learning outcomes.\n\nHowever, curriculum reform depends on sustained investment in people, including training faculty members and administrative staff to utilize AI tools, design digital learning experiences, and analyze student outcomes. Resistance to change should be addressed through transparent institutional dialogue that outlines both the benefits and risks of new technologies. Employees should participate in shaping solutions rather than having changes imposed from above.\n\nDr al-Azzawi advocates for a scalable, interoperable cloud solution over acquiring the latest systems. Before introducing automation, universities should streamline existing procedures and eliminate redundancy. He stresses that digitising complexity does not solve problems; it merely transfers the issue to a screen. Clear data governance, privacy safeguards, and defined accountability are essential to ensure technology becomes a trusted institutional tool.\n\nThe expert outlines a five-stage roadmap for transition. The first stage is diagnosis and gap analysis, comparing current capabilities with future ambitions. The second stage involves restructuring, including new curricula and academic pathways. The third focuses on building human capabilities and empowering teams. The fourth stage entails launching pilot projects and measuring outcomes before wider implementation. The final stage centers on continuous evaluation, governance, and sustainability. Regular assessments should focus on learning quality, student satisfaction, operational efficiency, and graduates' ties to the labor market. This approach allows institutions to learn from experience and adjust strategies without committing resources to ineffective transformation programs.",
  "summary": "Digital transformation is becoming a strategic necessity for Arab university business schools as they seek to prepare graduates for rapidly evolving markets, according to Prof Dr Mohammed Abdulwahab a...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}