Director - Government Affairs

Overview

Inception, a G42 company, is the region’s leading innovator of AI-powered domain-specific as well as industry-agnostic products, built on a rich heritage of research and development. Within the G42 ecosystem, Inception functions as the core intelligence layer – transforming data and compute infrastructure into real-world, applied AI solutions. Beyond its commercial endeavors, Inception is committed to creating positive societal impact. For more information, please visit www.inceptionai.ai

Role Overview

Reporting to the Senior Vice President – Growth, the Director – Government Affairs will play a pivotal role in shaping and executing Inception’s public-sector engagement and partnership strategy. The role will focus on strengthening relationships across the UAE government ecosystem, aligning Inception’s AI initiatives with national priorities such as digital transformation, data governance, and AI adoption across key sectors.

You will serve as a trusted advisor and liaison to senior government officials, policy makers, and public-sector leaders, ensuring that Inception’s strategic objectives and technology roadmap support the broader vision of the UAE’s AI and innovation agenda.

Responsibilities

• Support the design and execution of Inception’s government engagement and partnership strategy, ensuring alignment with the UAE’s AI, digital economy, and innovation objectives.
• Develop structured frameworks for engagement across ministries, authorities, and national programs, positioning Inception as a trusted technology partner and enabler.
• Identify and pursue high-impact collaboration opportunities with public entities, including joint innovation programs, AI pilots, and public-private partnerships.
• Build and sustain long-term relationships with key government bodies, semi-government institutions, regulators, and digital transformation councils.
• Serve as the main point of contact for all public-sector engagement, ensuring consistent communication of Inception’s value proposition and AI capabilities.
• Represent Inception at government meetings, committees, conferences, and public-private forums.
• Monitor and analyze evolving policy, regulatory, and funding developments relevant to AI, data privacy, and innovation ecosystems in the UAE.
• Provide insights and recommendations to the SVP Growth and executive leadership on how these developments impact Inception’s strategy and operations.
• Contribute to whitepapers, position statements, and policy recommendations that shape national approaches to responsible AI, digital infrastructure, and data ethics.
• Partner closely with Strategy, Product, Commercial, and R&D teams to align internal initiatives with government programs and national objectives.
• Support proposal development, concept notes, and partnership documentation (e.g., MOUs, RFPs, funding requests, joint venture frameworks).
• Develop dashboards and reporting mechanisms to track ongoing engagements, outcomes, and strategic opportunities.
• Ensure all government relations activities adhere to applicable UAE regulations on lobbying, data handling, and corporate engagement.
• Maintain a structured CRM and relationship-management database to ensure visibility of government touchpoints across the organization.
  
  

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in government affairs, public-sector engagement, or strategic partnerships, ideally within technology, AI, or innovation sectors.
• Deep understanding of UAE federal and local government structures, including familiarity with key entities such as the Prime Minister’s Office, ADIO, DFF, TDRA, and Smart Dubai.
• Proven success in building and managing senior-level relationships with government stakeholders and advancing cross-sector collaboration.
• Strong grasp of the UAE’s digital economy strategies, AI governance frameworks, and national innovation policies.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills in both Arabic and English, with the ability to engage credibly with senior policymakers and executives.
• Experience leading or supporting public-private partnerships, policy advocacy initiatives, or strategic national programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Business, Law, or related disciplines; Master’s degree preferred.
• Strategic thinker with a proactive, culturally aware approach and strong relationship-building capabilities.