Insights Archive

Please see a list of all blogs here:

Team Health Assessments in Dubai: the fastest way to diagnose delivery friction (and what to do next)
December 24, 2025

A practical Team Health Assessment for Dubai teams to pinpoint delivery friction fast—then turn findings into a focused 30/60/90-day improvement plan.

Agile for Mega-Projects: How Middle East Organisations Deliver Faster Without Losing Control
November 15, 2025

Mega-projects in the Middle East face huge complexity, shifting requirements, and high stakeholder expectations. Agile offers a smarter way to deliver — improving speed, transparency, collaboration, and risk management. This blog explores how Agile principles can be applied to large-scale infrastructure and energy programmes without sacrificing governance, safety, or control.

Why Agile Maturity Assessments are the Key to Lasting Transformation
September 30, 2025

Agile training alone doesn’t guarantee transformation success. Without visibility into adoption levels and cultural readiness, many initiatives stall. Agile Maturity Assessments provide organisations with a clear baseline, evidence-based insights, and a tailored roadmap for improvement. At Agility Arabia, we combine global frameworks like AgilityInsights® with Scrum.org’s Evidence-Based Management to measure agility in terms of value delivery, innovation, and sustainability. Whether for a single team or an entire enterprise, these assessments help leaders in the UAE and GCC make informed decisions, reduce risks, and accelerate transformation.

Zero Distance Meets Lean-Agile Procurement: A GCC Playbook for Organisational Intelligence
September 22, 2025

Get closer to customers, faster. Blend Zero Distance with LAP to shrink lead times, de-risk sourcing, and turn your supplier network into an innovation engine.

Accelerating Value in the Middle East: How Lean-Agile Procurement Powers the Agile Product Operating Model
September 17, 2025

Traditional procurement cycles of 6–12 months are no longer viable in the fast-moving markets of the Middle East. This blog explores how integrating Lean-Agile Procurement (LAP) with the Agile Product Operating Model (APOM) transforms procurement into a strategic enabler. Drawing on global case studies from Roche, Air France–KLM, and Swiss Railways, it shows how organisations achieve 400–800% faster procurement cycles, 80% cost savings, and up to 40% more innovative solutions. For UAE leaders in telecoms, aviation, energy, and government, this approach offers a proven path to faster delivery, stronger supplier ecosystems, and lasting competitive advantage.

Agile in Energy and Utilities: Powering Mega-Projects in the Middle East
September 10, 2025

Discover how Agile is transforming energy and utilities in the Middle East. Learn how solar, wind, and mega-project leaders can boost delivery speed, reduce risks, and align stakeholders with Agile practices.

How to Prepare for Exams Using AI (the Right Way)
August 18, 2025

Preparing for exams can be stressful, but AI tools are changing the way we study. Instead of relying on shortcuts or risky hacks, learners can now use AI to simplify complex concepts, generate practice questions, and identify areas that need more attention. Our latest blog explores how to use AI as a powerful study partner — ethically and effectively — to boost your confidence and performance in professional exams. Whether you’re aiming for a Scrum certification or any other qualification, discover how to make AI work for you, not against you.

What UAE Organisations Can Learn from Haier’s Rendanheyi Model
August 6, 2025

Discover how Haier’s groundbreaking Rendanheyi model can inspire UAE organisations to adopt more agile, decentralised, and customer-focused ways of working—aligning with Vision 2031 and the region’s digital transformation goals.

Agile Procurement + AI: Transforming How the UAE Buys in 2025
July 28, 2025

Procurement in the UAE is evolving. This blog explores how Agile Procurement combined with AI is helping organisations buy smarter, faster, and more collaboratively in 2025 — from vendor discovery to risk analysis and contract review.

Why Agile Fails in the Middle East – and How to Fix It
July 21, 2025

Discover why Agile often fails in the Middle East and learn how UAE organisations can fix it with tailored leadership, coaching, and cultural alignment. A must-read for business and digital transformation leaders.

AI Transformation in the UAE: Real Business Impact Across Middle East Industries
July 18, 2025

Discover how AI is driving real business transformation in the UAE and Middle East. Learn about AI trends, success stories, and how organisations are moving from pilots to scalable, high-impact AI adoption.

How Agile and AI Work Together: Transforming Business Agility in the UAE
July 14, 2025

Discover how Agile and AI work together to drive faster innovation, smarter decision-making, and better customer experiences. Learn about the new Scrum.org “Agility and AI” course now available in the UAE, and how Agility Arabia can help your organisation stay ahead in a rapidly changing market.

Navigating Agile Adoption in the UAE: Challenges and How to Overcome Them
June 27, 2025

Agile adoption UAE guide: Learn how to align Agile with local regulations, empower teams, and boost product delivery across Dubai and the wider Gulf region.

Amara’s Law and the importance of truly understanding project estimations
July 13, 2024

"But when is it going to be done?" is a common question from managers to Agile teams. And giving the wrong answer can cause major headaches further down the line. So why is it so hard to provide realistic estimates and what can we do to improve them?

Gall’s Law and the beauty of simplicity: lessons for your software development projects
July 13, 2024

Complex projects are difficult to deliver, so how can you setup your teams for success from the outset? The answer is (literally) simple...

Avoiding the Pitfalls of Brooks' Law: How Scrum Can Save Your Projects
July 13, 2024

Your project is running behind: what do you do? If you answered "Add more people to the team", then you might want to read this article.

Mastering Agile Metrics: tracking the right insights to drive business success
July 13, 2024

Using metrics to help teams progress towards achieving goals is vital today. However, track the wrong metrics and it won't be long before projects and teams are derailed. So which metrics should you track? Read on...

The Scrum Mastery Series - Part 5. Mastering Backlog Refinement: the unofficial 6th Scrum Event
July 13, 2024

Scrum is lightweight and only mandates 5 official Events. However, there's a 6th unofficial Event that we believe all Scrum teams should consider adopting...

The Scrum Mastery Series - Part 4. Mastering Sprint Planning: Best Practices for establishing your Sprint Goal
July 13, 2024

Sprint Planning is a pivotal event in the Scrum framework that sets the stage for a successful Sprint. This article delves into the essence of Sprint Planning, outlines essential characteristics of effective sessions, identifies common pitfalls to avoid, and shares actionable tips to enhance productivity and alignment within Agile teams.

The Scrum Mastery Series - Part 3. Mastering the Daily Scrum: Best Practices for Tracking your Sprint Goal
July 13, 2024

Tired of over-running Daily Scrums? Find yourself drifting off during them because one of your colleagues is monologuing about a particular Jira ticket...? If so, you should read this article on Daily Scrum best practice

The Scrum Mastery Series - Part 2. Mastering the Sprint Retrospective: Best Practices for Effective Agile Growth
July 13, 2024

In Part 2 of our Scrum Mastery series, we'll delve into the Sprint Retrospective. It's a session that often gets overlooked by time-pressured teams, but the reality is that it's one of the most valuable events in Scrum that can deliver significant value to Agile organisations.

The Scrum Mastery Series - Part 1. Mastering the Sprint Review: Best Practices for Effective Agile Feedback
July 13, 2024

In part 1 of our Scrum Mastery series, read about the Sprint Review, its crucial role in successful Agile delivery and most importantly of all: how you can level-up your current Sprint Review sessions.

The Top 10 Characteristics of a good Scrum Master: Unveiling the Keys to true Scrum Mastery
July 13, 2024

To be a truly great Scrum Master is hard and few - if any - practitioners ever reach the level of true Scrum Mastery. However, if you can embody the behaviours and skills featured in our Top Ten list, you'll go a long way towards achieving it.

Integrating New Members into Mature Scrum Teams: Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Success
July 13, 2024

Adding new people to existing delivery teams can be a difficult and disruptive task to take on. But it doesn't need to be: read on to discover how to welcome new team members without putting your project deliveries at risk.

The fallacy of the Scrum Master as a Project Manager: Unveiling True Agile Leadership
July 13, 2024

Scrum Master/Project Manager. Same thing, right? Absolutely not! And read on to understand why it's important that these two important roles are treated differently when delivering projects.

Agile Adoption vs. Agile Transformation: Are You Truly Embracing Agility?
July 13, 2024

Have you adopted Agile...? Do your teams refer to "doing Agile"...? If so, you may want to read this article about the important difference between mere adoption and true transformation.

Conway's Law: how it may be undermining your business today and how Agile can help
July 13, 2024

Could the way in which you've structured your organisation be impeding your teams' ability to deliver projects effectively...? Explore how siloed working occurs and what you can do about fixing it.

Bridging the Gap: From Academic Agile Training to Real-World Implementation
July 13, 2024

Translating academic and theoretical Scrum that we've read about and been taught on courses into practical application is a challenge that faces most Agile practitioners at some point. Read our tips for how to move beyond mechanical implementation and into transformational adoption.

The Silver Bullet of How to Effectively Deliver Multiple Projects at Once
July 13, 2024

To deliver more, you often need to do less... Read about how this seemingly counter-intuitive approach can dramatically improve project delivery success in your organisation.

Agile transformation in Kuwait: where to start (by sector)
July 13, 2024

Kuwait is a regional powerhouse in the GCC region and the adoption of Agile across industries has played a big part in its success.

Use of Agile in Military Manufacturing
July 13, 2024

Agile is not just for software development: read about how Agile was successfully adopted in military manufacturing

Scrum for Agile Leaders - a free eBook guide to implementing Scrum
June 24, 2024

Download our free eBook guide to successfully implementing Scrum in your organisation

Using AI to Pass Scrum Exams… Should you…?
May 25, 2024

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed many facets of our lives, including the way we learn and develop new skills. Scrum, a popular framework in the Agile world, has not been immune to this digital revolution. And with the advent of advanced AI engines, there's a growing question within the Agile student community: can AI be used to cheat in Scrum exams? But more importantly, should it be?

How to Pass the Professional Scrum Master (PSM) Certification
May 25, 2024

Becoming a certified Professional Scrum Master (PSM) is a significant achievement that showcases your understanding and expertise in Scrum principles and practices. The certification not only enhances your credibility but also equips you with the skills needed to lead Agile teams effectively. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you prepare for the PSM certification.

Bahrain - famous for the Formula One Grand Prix - could be overtaking the tech world in the outside lane as an entrepreneurial hub using Agile practices
May 12, 2024

Bahrain's startup ecosystem thrives with government support, ample funding, and a culture of innovation. Initiatives like Bahrain FinTech Bay and the Bahrain Technology Park facilitate collaboration. Agile frameworks drive quick iteration and customer value. Fintech leads, but diverse sectors innovate, making Bahrain a hub for entrepreneurship.

Scaled Agile Frameworks, what are the alternatives to SAFe?  Read about Nexus, the alternative enterprise scaling framework from Scrum.org
April 21, 2024

Compared to frameworks like Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS), Nexus prioritises simplicity, flexibility, and alignment with core Scrum principles. Read this article to learn more about applying Scrum in large, multi-team environments.

Agile Practices for Globally Distributed Teams: Embracing Scrum in the Remote Working Era
April 14, 2024

Amidst the shift in global working approach towards remote teams, the Scrum Framework emerges not only as a facilitator of Agile practices but as a cornerstone for effective collaboration, harnessing the diverse cultural and intellectual wealth these globally distributed teams bring to the table.

Qatar Leading the Digital Transformation: Revolutionising Banking and Finance Through Agile Innovation
March 17, 2024

In the heart of the Arabian Gulf lies Qatar, a country known for its rich cultural heritage, economic prosperity, and forward-thinking vision. In recent years, Qatar has emerged as a leader in digital transformation, particularly in the banking and finance sector. With a concerted effort to embrace technological innovation and Agile frameworks, Qatar is revolutionising the way financial services are delivered, setting new standards for efficiency, security, and customer experience.

Agile HR: the engine of enterprise transformation
March 9, 2024

Throughout any journey towards enterprise agility, particularly with the adoption of Agile Frameworks, the spotlight often illuminates IT departments and Agile coaches. However, one of the most crucial players in ensuring the long-term success of Agile transformations tends to remain in the shadows: the Human Resources (HR) department. For business leaders and HR professionals alike, understanding the critical role HR plays in driving and embedding Agile across an organisation is paramount. This article aims to underscore the importance of HR's involvement in Agile transformations, highlighting its impact on organisational culture, hiring policies, performance reviews and training.

Agile in highly regulated industries: a high-risk gamble?
March 9, 2024

The delicate balance between business agility and regulatory compliance can provoke a certain amount of concern in the hearts and minds of business leaders. In particular, senior leaders in highly regulated industries — finance, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and food production, to name a few — can often view Agile with a measure of scepticism. The misconception that Agile's mantra of "move fast; break things" is inherently at odds with the stringent requirements of regulatory frameworks is widespread. Yet, this perspective overlooks the nuanced, disciplined approach of Agile, particularly the Scrum Framework, in ensuring operational excellence while upholding the highest standards of compliance. This article aims to dispel myths and illuminate how Agile frameworks can be a beacon for businesses navigating the regulatory mazes.

MTN's Agile Transformation Journey: Redefining Procurement in the Digital Age New
January 29, 2024

MTN, the largest telecoms provider in Africa, has always been synonymous with innovation and transformative change. In recent years, the company has taken a significant step toward driving digital transformation across its entire enterprise with an ambitious vision: to become a fully Agile organisation. ‍In this article, we take a look at how Agility Arabia helped MTN to successfully adopt the Scrum framework within their Global Sourcing and Supply Chain (GSSC) procurement department.

Deliver Software Faster With Agile
January 29, 2024

In many companies, software development is at the heart of business success and the need for rapid, efficient, and effective project delivery is paramount. Decision-makers grappling with sluggish software development cycles or pondering over an Agile transformation will find a robust solution in Agile frameworks such as Scrum. This blog will explore how Scrum not only accelerates software delivery but also ensures that the end product aligns seamlessly with market demands and user needs, ultimately driving cost savings and boosting revenue generation.

Scrum is dead...
October 3, 2023

Agile frameworks, with Scrum at its forefront, are no stranger to the kind of negative sentiment found in forums and blogs that are written by frustrated practitioners. Despite Scrum's absolute simplicity and its proven track record of success across industries, there’s been a pretty consistent and vocal minority speaking out against the framework. “Scrum is dead!”, they will shout, “Scrum doesn’t work!”. But is it really dead, or is this just another phase in the ebb and flow of (un)popular opinion...?

هل يمكن أن تكون عمان القوة القادمة في الشرق الأوسط التي تستخدم Agility للمنافسة؟
September 25, 2023

يمكن لسلطنة عمان، وهي دولة معروفة بمناظرها الطبيعية الخلابة وتاريخها الغني، أن تضع نفسها بهدوء كقوة الأعمال الإقليمية القادمة. اقرأ كيف يمكن أن يكون استخدام Agile Frameworks، مثل Scrum، هو المفتاح للميزة التنافسية في المنطقة.

Oman: the Middle East's next Agile economic powerhouse?
September 25, 2023

Oman, a country known for its stunning landscapes and rich history, could be quietly positioning itself as the next regional business powerhouse. Read how the use of Agile Frameworks, such as Scrum, could be the key to competitive advantage in the region.

The curse of Mechanical Scrum - how to spot it. And how to fix it
September 12, 2023

Whilst we absolutely encourage any leader that wants to improve their ways of working to consider Agile approaches, it’s important that any implementation programme is done properly and thoughtfully. If you are one of those leaders considering introducing Agile to your organisation, ask yourself how you’d promote the transformation programme to your teams. If you find yourself saying things like “Let’s go Agile!” or “Our company is going to do Agile!”, pause for a moment and read this article.

Scrum.org vs. Scrum Alliance - what’s the difference and why should you care?
September 12, 2023

The Scrum landscape is dominated by two major organisations: Scrum.org and Scrum Alliance. Both organisations offer Scrum certifications and training, and both have their own cohort of passionate followers and advocates. This article provides an overview of each approach, traces their origins, lists their pros and cons, and highlights the key differences between the two.

Revolutionising the Banking and Fintech Landscape in Saudi Arabia with Agile
September 1, 2023

Explore how Agile can directly help banks and fintech organisations to reduce risk, increase customer satisfaction and create a culture of empirical product development.

Beginning an Agile Transformation: The 3 Non-Negotiables for Maximising Success
August 23, 2023

Agile transformations are not just about changing the way your teams work: they represent a fundamental shift in mindset and culture within organisations. Here are the three key non-negotiables to ensuring that your Agile transformation is setup for success.

Implementing Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe): reader beware…
August 11, 2023

For organisations looking to undertake an Agile Transformation, the temptation to adopt SAFe is often strong. But is this really the best way to drive value for your business...?

Ten reasons why your Scrum might be “failing"
July 30, 2023

Failure. Understandably, that’s a word loaded with negativity. But unless you’re working on truly mission critical projects where lives are at risk, there is an alternative viewpoint on the concept of “failure”. And it’s something that’s built into the core of the Scrum Framework: empiricism.

How to customise the Scrum Framework for your organisation or project - a ‘how to guide’
January 11, 2023

Many would-be Agile transformationalists feel that their business is unique and Scrum won't work without customisation. Here's Agility Arabia's thoughts on this.

Business OKRs - using Scrum to drive success
January 11, 2023

For business leaders and teams with challenging OKRs and targets, read about how Scrum can help you achieve them

How Scrum CAN work in non-tech, non-software engineering environments
January 11, 2023

Contrary to what some believe, the Scrum framework can be successfully applied to non-technical, non-software engineering projects

The Scrum holy grail: how to deliver more, faster, and with less people
January 10, 2023

Is the Scrum Framework a shortcut to delivering more, faster and with less resources? Find out here.

Building a High Performance Delivery Culture with Scrum
January 10, 2023

Using the Scrum Framework to foster a culture of high performance delivery across your product development teams

Scrum? Kanban? SAFe? Lean? XP? Or perhaps PRINCE2? PMI…? How to choose the right delivery approach for your business
January 10, 2023

When it comes to project delivery, there are countless methodologies and frameworks you could use. But how to you choose which is right for you?