Government Affairs Lead - Middle East (UAE or Saudi Arabia based)

Cohere
Dubai, Riyadh
Workplace: HybridFull timeFunction: Government Affairs & Public PolicyExperience: 7+ yearsEducation: bachelorsSkills: ["Stakeholder management","Analytical skills","Written communication","Verbal communication","Cross-functional collaboration"]

Establish and grow Cohere’s Government Affairs and Public Policy presence across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Lead stakeholder engagement with ministries, regulators, and public-sector organizations to shape AI and digital innovation policy. Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, produce consultation and advocacy materials, support business development with government partners, and represent Cohere at industry forums while ensuring compliance with local laws.

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FursaFursa
Cohere
Cohere
12 hours ago

Government Affairs Lead - Middle East (UAE or Saudi Arabia based)

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Last checked: 11 hours agoStatus: Live

Job Summary

Establish and grow Cohere’s Government Affairs and Public Policy presence across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Lead stakeholder engagement with ministries, regulators, and public-sector organizations to shape AI and digital innovation policy. Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, produce consultation and advocacy materials, support business development with government partners, and represent Cohere at industry forums while ensuring compliance with local laws.
Location: Dubai, Riyadh
Workplace: Hybrid
Employment Type: Full time
Job Function: Government Affairs & Public Policy
Seniority: Mid level

Key Responsibilities

  • •Report to the Head of EMEA Government Affairs & Public Policy and partner with senior leadership, legal, public policy, responsible AI, communications, and commercial teams to execute regional strategy across the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
  • •Serve as Cohere’s primary government affairs representative, building relationships with ministries, regulators, government authorities, public-sector organizations, sovereign entities, and innovation agencies.
  • •Monitor legislative, regulatory, and policy developments impacting AI, cloud computing, data governance, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies.
  • •Support policy advocacy by creating consultation responses, policy submissions, briefing materials, executive talking points, and stakeholder engagement strategies.
  • •Represent Cohere in industry associations, public-private partnerships, conferences, and policy forums, while managing external government affairs consultants and ensuring compliance with local laws.

Pay and Benefits

Perks:Health InsuranceDental401kPensionPaid LeaveParental LeaveLearning BudgetHome Office

Key Requirements

  • •7+ years of experience in government, a ministerial office, public policy, diplomacy, or related public-sector/regulatory roles.
  • •Strong understanding of the policymaking and regulatory landscape in either the UAE or Saudi Arabia, with ability to develop expertise across both.
  • •Experience building trusted relationships with senior government officials and public-sector stakeholders.
  • •Familiarity with AI policy, digital transformation, innovation policy, cloud technologies, public procurement, or technology regulation.
  • •Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; professional Arabic proficiency is highly desirable.
Experience:7+ years
Education:Bachelor's
Skills:Stakeholder managementAnalytical skillsWritten communicationVerbal communicationCross-functional collaboration
Languages:EnglishArabic
Tech Stack:AI policyCloud technologiesDigital infrastructure

Company Brief

Cohere
Builds security-first foundation models and enterprise AI products (LLMs, retrieval, agent platforms) for regulated industries, enabling customizable, private deployments across cloud and on-premises for real-world business applications.
Industry: AI & Machine Learning
Company Size: Large (251 to 1,000 employees)
Growth: Scaleup
Valuation: Unicorn (USD 1B+)
Funding: Series D
Headquarters: Toronto, Canada
Founded: 2019
Glassdoor
Glassdoor: 2.9
WebsiteLinkedInGlassdoor