Technology advisory · Saudi Arabia

Independent technology advisor for Saudi CEOs, founders, and boards

Not every company needs a CTO, fractional or full-time. Many need an experienced, independent technology advisor. That's someone the CEO or board can call before signing a large contract, approving a platform rebuild, or choosing between competing proposals.

In short

A technology advisor gives founders, CEOs, and boards independent, senior technology judgement on a retained or as-needed basis. The advisor reviews plans, proposals, vendors, and risks, but doesn't take ownership of delivery the way a fractional CTO does.

Who this is for

  • CEOs of non-technical businesses with growing technology spend
  • Founders who want a senior sounding board but already have a delivery team
  • Boards and investors who need independent technology oversight
  • Family businesses and SMEs evaluating major system changes

Problems this solves

  • You have three vendor proposals with very different prices and no way to compare them.
  • The team proposes a full rebuild and you cannot judge whether it is necessary.
  • The board asks about cybersecurity, data protection, and AI, and answers feel vague.
  • You want an opinion from someone with no stake in what you end up buying.

Advisor vs fractional CTO

A fractional CTO owns the technology agenda and is accountable for delivery. A technology advisor does not run the team; the advisor makes sure the people who do are making sound decisions. Advisory is lighter and cheaper. It suits companies that already have capable delivery, in-house or outsourced, but lack senior, independent judgement.

What I review as your advisor

The value is in specific, timely opinions on decisions that are expensive to reverse.

  • Vendor and agency proposals, statements of work, and contract terms, especially code and IP ownership
  • Rebuild vs refactor decisions, and platform or ERP selection
  • AI initiatives: whether the use case, data, and expected return are realistic
  • Security and data protection posture in plain language, including PDPL exposure
  • Technology budgets, team structure, and key hiring decisions
  • Technology sections of investor materials and board packs

Independence

Advisory is separate from delivery: I am not selling you a development team, so recommendations can include spending less, keeping the current system, or delaying a project when that is the right answer.

How the engagement works

  1. Onboarding. A structured session to understand the business, current systems, vendors, and upcoming decisions.
  2. Standing cadence. A regular advisory session (monthly or fortnightly), plus agreed availability for time-sensitive questions.
  3. Decision reviews. Written opinions on specific proposals, plans, or risks when a decision needs to be documented.

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

Related case studies

  • Dinar.sa: Frontend and mobile engineering leadership for a Saudi FinTech product with real-time financial workflows.
  • NEOM digital platforms: Frontend team leadership on government-scale digital products inside Saudi Arabia’s NEOM programme.

Frequently asked questions

What is a technology advisor?

A technology advisor is a senior, independent expert who gives a CEO, founder, or board ongoing judgement on technology decisions such as strategy, vendors, architecture, security, AI, and budgets. The advisor doesn't manage the delivery team.

What is the difference between a technology advisor and a fractional CTO?

A fractional CTO owns the technology function part-time and is accountable for delivery. A technology advisor reviews and guides decisions but does not run the team. Advisory suits companies that already have capable delivery and need senior oversight.

Can you review a vendor proposal before we sign?

Yes. That is one of the most common advisory requests. I review scope, architecture, timeline, team, pricing structure, and contract terms such as source code ownership, handover, and support obligations, and give a written recommendation.

Do you work with boards?

Yes. I can brief boards on technology strategy, risk, and major investments in plain business language, and help management prepare the technology sections of board materials.

Get an independent technology opinion

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Further reading

Other ways I work with Saudi companies