Pantheion AI

VP Government Relations & Sovereign Partnerships

Abu Dhabi, UAEFull-TimeOn-sitePosted Apr 6, 2026

Government relationsGCC relationshipsAI regulatory frameworksContract negotiationNative Arabic fluency

Role overview

Pantheion AI's primary revenue engine is long-term sovereign government contracts with GCC states — $10M to $100M+ engagements with ministries of defense, intelligence bodies, and national AI agencies. As VP Government Relations, you will be the strategic architect and primary relationship holder for Pantheion AI's government access across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the broader GCC. This is a role for a deeply connected senior professional with an established network across GCC government institutions, sovereign wealth funds, and national AI bodies — not a business development role, but a sovereign affairs leadership function.

What you will do

Own Pantheion AI's sovereign engagement strategy across the GCC — developing and maintaining senior relationships with ministries, national AI bodies (SDAIA, ADIO, Qatar NAIC), and sovereign wealth funds
Develop and progress Pantheion AI's pipeline of sovereign government contracts, working alongside the CEO and Co-Founder to bring $10M–$100M+ engagements from initial relationship to signed contract
Lead engagement with HUMAIN (Saudi Arabia) and UAE Stargate as strategic infrastructure partners — positioning Pantheion AI as the application-layer intelligence company sitting atop GCC compute investments
Navigate UAE, Saudi, and Qatar AI regulatory frameworks — proactively engaging SDAIA, ADIO, and equivalent bodies to shape regulatory environments favourable to sovereign AI deployment
Represent Pantheion AI at key GCC government forums, national AI conferences, and sovereign investment events — building the company's institutional profile across the region
Lead the development of Pantheion AI's GCC export strategy — identifying allied-nation governments in the region for cross-border sovereign AI commercialization
Support the CFO and CEO in sovereign investor relations — engaging PIF, Mubadala, QIA, and ADQ at the senior government relationship level
Build and manage a small but highly effective government relations team, including government affairs specialists and regulatory compliance counsel

Skills profile

Required skills

Government relationsGCC relationshipsAI regulatory frameworksContract negotiationNative Arabic fluency

Required qualifications

Domain knowledge

15+ years of senior government relations, diplomatic, or sovereign affairs experience within or directly serving GCC governments
Established senior-level relationships across at least two of: UAE government, Saudi Arabian government, Qatari government, or GCC-wide sovereign institutions
Deep understanding of GCC AI, technology, and defence procurement environments — how decisions are made, who the key stakeholders are, and how relationships convert to contracts
Track record of developing and closing large-scale government technology or defence contracts ($10M+) in the GCC
Native Arabic fluency — professional written and spoken command of both Gulf Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic is essential
Impeccable professional reputation and the highest standards of integrity in government engagement

Preferred qualifications

Bonus domain experience

Prior senior roles within UAE, Saudi, or Qatari government institutions, sovereign wealth funds, or national AI bodies
Existing relationships with SDAIA (Saudi Arabia), ADIO (Abu Dhabi), Qatar NAIC, PIF, Mubadala, or ADQ
Experience in AI, technology, or dual-use defence and commercial sectors
Network within HUMAIN, UAE Stargate, or Qatar National AI programme leadership
Prior engagement with GCC AI regulatory development or national AI strategy formulation