Fractional CTO · Riyadh
Fractional CTO in Riyadh
A part-time CTO who lives in Riyadh, can sit in your office when it matters, and owns your technology agenda week to week. That covers product, architecture, team, vendors, and delivery, until you're ready for a full-time hire or no longer need one.
In short
A fractional CTO in Riyadh is a senior technology executive who works with a company part-time or on retainer, taking real ownership of technology strategy, architecture, engineering delivery, hiring, and vendor management, for a fraction of the cost and commitment of a full-time CTO.
Who this is for
- Riyadh startups between pre-seed and Series A without a technical co-founder
- SMEs whose product or internal systems now need executive technology ownership
- Companies whose CTO has left and need interim cover while they hire
- Businesses relying on an agency that need someone on their side of the table
Problems this solves
- You are hiring a full-time CTO, but the search will take months and decisions cannot wait.
- Your development agency sets the priorities because nobody internal can challenge them.
- Investors are asking technical questions that the founding team cannot answer with confidence.
- Engineering hiring in Riyadh is competitive and you are not sure what profile you need first.
Why a Riyadh-based fractional CTO
Remote fractional CTOs can work well, but some moments need someone in the room: investor meetings, vendor negotiations, team offsites, and difficult conversations with an underperforming partner. Being based in Riyadh means those sessions happen in person without travel planning, and the rest runs on a weekly cadence.
What you get each week
The engagement is ownership, not staff augmentation. A typical retained engagement includes:
- A weekly leadership session with the CEO or founders
- Ownership of the technology roadmap and priorities
- Architecture and stack decisions, documented so the next CTO inherits them cleanly
- Vendor and agency management: scope, quality, contracts, and code ownership
- Hiring plans, interviews, and onboarding for engineers and engineering leads
- Delivery oversight: release planning, quality, security, and incident handling
- Technical representation in investor, partner, and board conversations
Hiring and team building in the Saudi market
Building an engineering team in Riyadh means balancing Saudization (Nitaqat) requirements, a competitive market for senior engineers, and a strong vendor ecosystem. A practical plan often combines a small in-house core that owns architecture and product knowledge with a well-managed partner for capacity. I help decide which roles to hire first, how to assess them, and how to keep knowledge inside the company.
Planning the handover to a full-time CTO
A good fractional engagement makes itself less necessary. When the company is ready, I help define the full-time CTO or VP Engineering role, take part in interviews, and hand over a documented architecture, roadmap, and team. That way the new leader starts with context instead of digging through old decisions.
How the engagement works
- First 2 weeks. Understand the business, product, code, vendors, and team. Identify the top risks and quick wins.
- First 30 days. Agree the technology roadmap, fix the most urgent delivery or vendor issues, and set an operating cadence.
- Ongoing. Weekly leadership, decisions, hiring, and delivery oversight, while keeping an eye on when a full-time hire starts to make sense.
Relevant experience
Muhammad Owais Talat has worked in Riyadh since December 2022. He currently leads frontend and mobile engineering at Dinar.sa, a Saudi FinTech, and previously led a frontend engineering team on NEOM digital platforms. Before Saudi Arabia he co-founded Locofy.ai, led product engineering at BankOnUs, and spent 15+ years moving from design and frontend development to engineering and technology leadership. Full profile
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Frequently asked questions
What is a fractional CTO?
A fractional CTO is a senior technology leader who works with a company part-time or on retainer and takes ownership of technology strategy, architecture, engineering delivery, hiring, and vendor management, without the cost and commitment of hiring a full-time executive.
How much time does a fractional CTO spend with a Riyadh company?
It depends on the stage and the problem. Many engagements run on a fixed weekly cadence with additional time around launches, hiring, fundraising, or vendor changes. The commitment is agreed upfront and reviewed as the company grows.
How is a fractional CTO priced?
Usually as a monthly retainer based on the time commitment and scope, or as a fixed fee for a defined piece of work such as a roadmap or audit. I agree the model and scope after a discovery call rather than quoting a generic rate.
Can you meet in person in Riyadh?
Yes. I am based in Riyadh and can join leadership meetings, workshops, investor sessions, and vendor meetings in person. Day-to-day work runs remotely on a fixed cadence.
Will you write code?
Sometimes, for prototypes, architecture spikes, or code reviews. But the main value of a fractional CTO is leadership and decisions. Most delivery should be done by your team or partners, with me accountable for direction and quality.
Discuss a fractional CTO engagement in Riyadh