Unifonic earns ISO 42001 certification for responsible AI management
Unifonic has secured ISO 42001 certification, confirming an enterprise-wide Artificial Intelligence Management System (AIMS) is in place. For managers, this signals mature AI governance, measured risk control, and readiness for emerging regulations.
The timing matters. While AI adoption keeps accelerating, 65% of organisations still fail to meet regulatory expectations, 73% of leaders worry about AI risks, and nearly half face cybersecurity exposure. Standards-based AI operations are becoming a requirement, not a nice-to-have.
What ISO 42001 means in practice
ISO 42001 sets a management system for AI across the business. It focuses on clear roles, documented controls, risk assessment, ongoing monitoring, and continuous improvement throughout the AI lifecycle.
- Governance: defined responsibilities, decision rights, and escalation paths
- Risk management: model, data, and process risks identified, scored, and treated
- Data privacy and security: safeguards for sensitive information across the lifecycle
- Fairness and accountability: documented methods, testing, and audit trails
- Operations: model inventory, change control, monitoring, incident response, and reviews
Why this matters to leadership
- Regulatory readiness: prepares teams for scrutiny from auditors and regulators
- Trust and revenue: strengthens credibility with customers, partners, and boards
- Vendor differentiation: simplifies procurement and due diligence with enterprise buyers
- Operational clarity: reduces AI-related incidents and accelerates responsible deployment
How Unifonic got there
The company assessed existing AI practices against ISO 42001, engaged accredited experts, and assigned leadership ownership. It trained staff, documented governance, added technical safeguards, and completed a formal audit with an accredited body.
"We are honoured to receive this global certification, which highlights Unifonic's relentless pursuit of excellence and commitment to responsible AI practices. This remarkable achievement has paved the way for enhanced transparency, data privacy, accountability and fairness. It further marks a key milestone in our long-standing efforts to drive sustainable AI innovation, while enhancing stakeholder trust and ensuring regulatory readiness." - Ahmed Hamdan, CEO & Co-Founder, Unifonic
Regional significance
As one of the first in KSA and the MENA region to achieve ISO 42001, Unifonic sets a benchmark for responsible AI. It supports national priorities to invest in AI while protecting customers and institutions, especially in finance, healthcare, and technology.
What managers can do next
- Run a gap assessment against ISO 42001 (governance, risk, data, lifecycle, monitoring)
- Create an AI governance council with clear decision rights and reporting
- Build a central model registry and require documentation for every AI use case
- Implement privacy impact assessments and security controls for training and inference
- Establish evaluation standards: bias checks, performance thresholds, and human oversight
- Set incident response for AI failures and a process for periodic reviews
- Train teams on responsible AI and risk management; audit regularly
Bottom line
ISO 42001 is becoming a practical benchmark for responsible AI at scale. Unifonic's certification shows that disciplined governance is achievable now-and it pays dividends in trust, speed, and compliance.
For broader risk guidance, see the NIST AI Risk Management Framework here. If you're building internal capability, you can review AI-related certifications that support governance and audit readiness.
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