Regulatory Affairs Manager

The Regulatory Affairs Manager supports the Head of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance in managing ZainTECH's regulatory footprint across the GCC and wider Middle East. The role monitors, interprets, and operationalizes the regulatory frameworks applicable to ZainTECH's ICT businesses - including cloud services, cybersecurity and managed security services, artificial intelligence, data and analytics, digital solutions, and technology resale and licensing - and ensures that regulatory obligations are identified, tracked, and embedded into business operations across all markets in which ZainTECH and its subsidiaries operate.

The role acts as a first point of contact for regulatory queries from the business, manages licensing and authorization matters, supports engagement with sector regulators, and maintains the function's regulatory obligation registers and horizon-scanning processes.

Responsibilities:

Regulatory Monitoring & Horizon Scanning

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments relevant to ICT, cloud, cybersecurity, AI, data protection, and digital services across ZainTECH's operating markets (including UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt) and assess their impact on the business.
• Maintain and update the regulatory obligations register / compliance universe, mapping applicable mandates to business lines, legal entities, and owners, and supporting periodic prioritization reviews.
• Prepare regulatory impact assessments, briefing notes, and alerts for the Head of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance, the Chief Legal & Regulatory Affairs Officer, and business stakeholders.

Licensing & Authorisations

• Manage the lifecycle of licences, registrations, permits, and authorizations required for ZainTECH's activities across its markets (including telecom/ICT licences, cloud service provider registrations, cybersecurity and managed security operations centre licensing, and sector-specific approvals).
• Prepare, submit, and track licence applications, renewals, amendments, and periodic regulatory filings, ensuring deadlines are met and conditions of licence are complied with.
• Assess licensing and localisation requirements for new products, services, and market entries, and advise the business on regulatory feasibility and structuring options.

Regulator Engagement

• Support day-to-day engagement with sector regulators and authorities across the region (e.g., TDRA in the UAE; CST, NCA, and SDAIA in Saudi Arabia; CITRA in Kuwait; TRA in Bahrain; TRC in Jordan; CMC in Iraq; and NTRA in Egypt), including correspondence, information requests, inspections, and audits.
• Prepare responses to regulatory consultations and support policy advocacy positions in coordination with the Head of Regulatory Affairs & Compliance and, where relevant, Zain Group regulatory teams.
• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with regulators, industry bodies, and local counsel across the region.

Regulatory Advisory to the Business

• Act as a trusted advisor to sales, presales, product, and delivery teams on regulatory requirements affecting deals and solutions - including data residency and localisation, cross-border data transfers, cybersecurity controls, outsourcing rules applicable to regulated clients (e.g., banking and government sectors), and in-country presence requirements.
• Review bids, RFP responses, and contractual commitments for regulatory risk in coordination with the legal team, and advise on regulatory representations, warranties, and compliance clauses.
• Support regulatory due diligence for new ventures, partnerships, acquisitions, and market entries.

Compliance Operations & Reporting

• Support the design and implementation of compliance frameworks, policies, and procedures that give effect to regulatory obligations, in coordination with the compliance, data protection, and information security functions.
• Track remediation of regulatory gaps and findings, and prepare periodic regulatory compliance reporting for management and governance committees.
• Develop and deliver regulatory awareness and training materials for business teams.

Our Culture & Code of Conduct:

At ZainTECH, we take pride in a culture built on collaboration, innovation, and uncompromising integrity. We are looking for individuals who share these values and are committed to customer-centricity and ethical excellence. All employees are expected to uphold our Code of Conduct, which serves as a guiding framework for responsible behavior across everything we do - from how we work with each other to how we engage with clients and partners globally.

Requirements

• Minimum 5-7 years of regulatory affairs experience, of which a significant portion must be in the ICT, telecommunications, cloud, or technology sector.
• Demonstrable experience with ICT and technology regulation across the GCC and wider Middle East, including licensing regimes, data protection and data residency laws, cybersecurity regulation, and cloud computing frameworks.
• Established familiarity with regional regulators and frameworks - e.g., TDRA (UAE), CST / NCA / SDAIA (KSA), CITRA (Kuwait), TRA (Bahrain), TRC (Jordan), and NTRA (Egypt) - and with emerging AI governance instruments in the region.
• Experience managing licence applications, regulatory filings, and regulator relationships; experience in a multi-country or group environment is strongly preferred.
• Fluency in English is required; professional proficiency in Arabic is strongly preferred given the regional regulator landscape.
• Strong analytical and interpretation skills - able to translate regulatory text into clear, practical guidance for commercial teams.
• Excellent drafting skills for regulatory submissions, briefing notes, and consultation responses.
• Sound judgement and risk-based prioritisation; able to distinguish material regulatory risk from noise.
• Strong stakeholder management across legal, compliance, business, and group functions, and credibility with regulators.
• Bachelor's degree in Law, or in a relevant discipline (e.g., public policy, telecommunications, engineering) combined with substantial regulatory experience; a legal qualification or postgraduate degree is an advantage.