Abdulrahman M. Bin Obaid

Founder & CTO — PantherIQRiyadh · Mar 2026 – Present

CTO, Saudi Panther · Cybersecurity & GRC Leader

Portrait of Abdulrahman M. Bin Obaid
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About

10+ Years of Experience

I am the Founder & CTO of PantherIQ, a Riyadh-based startup I founded in March 2026 to build intelligent automation and AI solutions for businesses.

PantherIQ builds custom AI, local/on-prem and cloud, with deep data analysis and machine learning that boost efficiency, support lines of business and improve executive decision-making. PantherIQ is the technical arm and long-term partner of Saudi Panther, where I also serve as CTO. There, my team and I built and run Panther Hub, Saudi Panther's internal staff platform, now in production. PantherIQ's work is aligned with NCA, SDAIA, NDMO and NIST AI RMF requirements.

In parallel, I continue to lead the Cybersecurity & GRC team at Sehati for Information Technology as Senior Manager. Across 10+ years I moved from network engineering through product management into GRC leadership, with zero critical audit findings across two organizations.

2026PantherIQ Founded
9Professional Certifications
500+Employees in GRC Scope (Solutions by stc)

News

Latest updates

  • Latest

    Panther Hub in production for Saudi Panther

    Built and operate Panther Hub, Saudi Panther's internal staff platform: it runs the editorial cycle from news detection to branded posts ready for Snapchat, TikTok, and X.

  • Founded PantherIQ

    A Riyadh-based startup building intelligent automation and AI solutions for businesses.

    pantheriq.sa

  • CTO, Saudi Panther

    Took on the role of CTO at Saudi Panther alongside founding PantherIQ, its technical arm and long-term partner.

  • Promoted to Senior Manager, Cybersecurity & GRC

    Promoted at Sehati for Information Technology, where I continue to lead the Cybersecurity & GRC team.

Career

Scroll sideways for earlier roles

Current roles — concurrent

Mar 2026 – Present

PantherIQ

Founder & CTO

  • Founded a Riyadh-based startup building intelligent automation and AI solutions for businesses: custom AI (local/on-prem and cloud), deep data analysis and machine learning
  • Lines of business: AI-native development (local and cloud) and business automation (workflows on existing systems), cybersecurity and governance advisory, systems integration, software development, and advanced data analytics
  • Aligned with NCA cybersecurity controls, SDAIA's AI governance framework, NDMO data management controls, NIST AI RMF, and Saudi regulatory requirements (ZATCA, e-invoicing, local registration); Arabic First, with bilingual documentation and support, delivered by a small core team

Mar 2026 – Present

Saudi Panther

CTO

  • PantherIQ serves as Saudi Panther's technical arm and long-term partner, delivering its digital transformation plan; Saudi Panther is PantherIQ's first client
  • Built and operate Panther Hub, Saudi Panther's internal staff platform, in production: it detects news from Saudi Panther-verified sources and runs the full editorial cycle through to branded posts ready for Snapchat, TikTok, and X
  • Saudi Panther's audience: 7M+ on Snapchat (its main platform), 700K+ on TikTok, and 500K+ on X

Oct 2025 – Present

Sehati for Information Technology

Senior Manager, Cybersecurity & GRC

  • Lead the Cybersecurity and GRC team, reporting directly to the CISO on risk posture and compliance
  • Plan and execute the department budget (SAR 3M+) covering security tooling, staffing, and compliance

Earlier roles

Feb 2025 – Oct 2025

Sehati for Information Technology

Manager, Cybersecurity & GRC

  • Revamped the cybersecurity framework: restructured governance, updated compliance policies, enhanced audit procedures
  • Passed all compliance audits with zero critical findings during engagement with national regulators

Mar 2020 – Aug 2024

Solutions by stc

Manager, Operations & Products Governance

  • Led the effort to obtain and maintain ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and COPC certifications
  • Maintained zero critical audit findings across all certification cycles for over four consecutive years

Apr 2019 – Mar 2020

Solutions by stc

Senior Product Manager II, Cloud & Digital Products

  • Managed cloud and IoT product lifecycles, refining business models and go-to-market strategies
  • Onboarded new Cloud Service Providers onto STC and Bluvalt cloud marketplaces

Jan 2018 – Apr 2019

Solutions by stc

Engineer II, IoT Field Services

  • Led teams to deliver and maintain IoT products for government, enterprise, and SME clients
  • Managed large CCTV deployment projects end-to-end: from survey and design through implementation

Aug 2016 – Jan 2018

Solutions by stc

Engineer I, Network Field Services

  • Installed and tested complex IT networks including FTTx and Managed Router Services for enterprise clients
  • Led diverse teams of internal and external technicians on multi-phase network infrastructure projects

Projects

Intelligent Automation

Panther Hub for Saudi Panther

Saudi Panther's internal staff platform, which my team and I run in production. It detects news from Saudi Panther-verified sources (RSS and X), analyzes it, and runs the full editorial cycle to posts rewritten in Saudi Panther's tone, branded at the right canvas size, and ready for Snapchat, TikTok, and X. It also covers research across 200K+ archived articles and a live events map for fast reporting. Its smart editor handles rephrasing, Arabic–English translation, headline, image, and metadata selection, and keyword and sentiment analysis with Claude NLP; a move to a local model is planned.

  • Saudi Panther
  • 200K+ Article Archive
  • Live Events Map
  • Claude NLP
  • In Production

Cybersecurity Governance

Cybersecurity Framework Revamp at Sehati

Revamped the cybersecurity framework including governance processes, compliance policies, and audit procedures. Achieved zero critical findings.

  • GRC
  • HIPAA
  • NCA
  • Healthcare

Compliance

ISO 27001 and PCI-DSS Certification Program

Led the end-to-end effort to obtain and maintain certifications for Solutions by stc products and services, with zero critical audit findings. Coordinated across operations, cybersecurity, and internal audit.

  • ISO 27001
  • PCI-DSS
  • Audit
  • Certification

Product Management

Cloud Marketplace Onboarding Program

Managed CSP onboarding onto STC and Bluvalt cloud marketplaces. Created standardized processes and a cloud certification e-learning program.

  • Cloud
  • SaaS
  • Product Management

Field Engineering

Enterprise IoT and CCTV Deployment Program

Led large-scale CCTV and IoT deployments for government, enterprise, and SME clients. Improved processes to meet SLA targets.

  • IoT
  • CCTV
  • Field Services
  • SLA

certifications

  • Project Management Professional (PMP)
  • Risk Management Professional (RMP)
  • Certified Operational Risk Manager (CORM)
  • Cisco CCIE Routing & Switching
  • Cisco CCNP Security
  • Palo Alto Networks Accredited Configuration Engineer (ACE)
  • Arbor Networks DDoS Specialist
  • Huawei HCNA
  • Finance for Non-Finance (FFNF)

education

B.S. Network Engineering — Johnson & Wales University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA · Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.74/4.0) · Dean's Senior Award 2015

languages

Arabic (Native) · English (Fluent)

Core Competencies

  • Technology Leadership
  • AI Solutions
  • AI Governance
  • Business Automation
  • Systems Integration
  • Data Analytics
  • Digital Transformation
  • GRC
  • Cybersecurity
  • ISO 27001
  • PCI-DSS
  • HIPAA
  • NCA Compliance
  • Risk Management
  • Vendor Management
  • Security Audits
  • Policy Development
  • Budget Planning
  • Team Leadership
  • Change Management
  • Cloud Security
  • Network Security

Writing

Lessons from practice

  • GRC
  • ISO 27001
  • NCA

Why Large Organizations Need a GRC-First Approach to Cybersecurity

Frameworks like NCA, ISO 27001, and PCI-DSS define the minimum. Evidence cross-mapping and a compliance calendar turned multi-framework chaos into a sustainable operation at Solutions by stc.

5 min read

Read article
  • GRC
  • Governance
  • Leadership

Building a GRC Function from Scratch: Lessons from Solutions by stc

From zero policies to zero critical audit findings in four years. How ownership mapping, a unified control framework, and a compliance calendar built a GRC program for 500+ employees.

6 min read

Read article
  • Vendor Mgmt
  • Risk
  • Contracts

Vendor Risk Management: Lessons from Managing Niche Technology Vendors

When your vendor has a locked-down OS and a global monopoly, questionnaires are not enough. How contract renegotiation and tiered assessments solved vendor risk at Solutions by stc.

6 min read

Read article
  • Career
  • Cybersecurity
  • Leadership

From Network Engineer to GRC Leader: The Value of Cross-Domain Experience

A career spanning field engineering, product management, and cybersecurity governance at Solutions by stc. What junior vs senior auditors teach you, and why non-linear careers produce stronger leaders.

6 min read

Read article

I had the pleasure of working with Abdulrahman as the manager of the governance section at Solutions by Stc - technology division. During his time, Abdulrahman built the governance section from scratch, and he has since overseen its growth and success. Abdulrahman is a highly skilled and experienced professional with a deep understanding of governance principles and practices. He is also an excellent communicator and collaborator, and he has a proven track record of success in building and managing high-performing teams.

Saad AlShayiah

Board Member & Senior Director

Managed Abdulrahman directly

Let'sConnect

The fastest way to reach me is a LinkedIn message. For PantherIQ, visit pantheriq.sa.

Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/abdulrahmanob
X (Twitter)
x.com/iengd7
PantherIQ
pantheriq.sa

Download CV (PDF)