The verdict in three sentences
In Riyadh, a growing share of executives, families and foreign groups prepare their tax and fiduciary questions with AI assistants like ChatGPT before contacting a firm, and the answer sometimes names three firms, sometimes none. Being mentioned depends mostly on consistent public information, factual pages per issue and mentions by credible third parties, not on a technical trick. The work is priced on quote, measured through a dated record of the answers to the same questions, and no serious provider can promise that your firm will be recommended.
What your future clients already ask AI assistants
The questions below are realistic examples, phrased the way a CFO, a founder or a family head would ask them. They are precise, often bilingual, and mix tax, set-up and discretion.
| Question put to the assistant | Who asks it | What the answer looks for |
|---|---|---|
| "Which firm in Riyadh supports setting up a regional headquarters and its tax consequences?" | CFO of a foreign group | Dedicated service pages, dated articles, named partners |
| "Who can document our transfer pricing between a Saudi subsidiary and a UAE holding company?" | Group head of tax | Stated expertise, jurisdictions covered |
| "How does zakat work for a Saudi company with a foreign shareholder?" | Founder raising capital | Precise, up-to-date explanatory content |
| "Which fiduciary firm in Riyadh manages family structures across several countries?" | Business family | Licences held, discretion, team |
| "What CRS and FATCA obligations apply to a Saudi resident with accounts abroad?" | High-net-worth individual, wealth adviser | Clear explanations, no promises |
| "International tax firm in Riyadh speaking Arabic and English, with an office in Europe?" | Family group with subsidiaries | Consistent information in both languages |
| "What substance does a regional holding need to be defensible?" | General counsel | Signed analysis, public sources cited |
The firm must be described the way it actually works: compliance, documentation, advice. Never as a tax-reduction tool.
Why some firms are named and others are not
AI assistants like ChatGPT build their answers from what is published and repeated across the web. A firm that is discreet by culture often leaves a gap that others fill.
| Signal | What it brings to the answer | Common weakness in Riyadh |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent public information | Same name, address, services everywhere | Directories, LinkedIn and website contradict each other |
| Pages per issue | A clear answer to a precise question | One "Services" page listing everything |
| Third-party mentions | Professional rankings, press, speaking slots | Little presence beyond the website |
| Team and credentials | Named partners, jurisdictions, licences held | Anonymous team "for discretion" |
| Dated content | Freshness on rules that change | 2021 articles never reviewed |
| Structured data | Reliable reading of the organisation and services | Missing or incomplete |
| Aligned Arabic and English versions | Accurate answers in both languages | Thinner or missing Arabic version |
The discretion owed to clients does not prevent you from being explicit about the firm itself: who you are, what you handle, where, and under which licences.
What the work covers and what the market charges
In broad terms, it means auditing what AI assistants say about your firm today, correcting public inconsistencies, strengthening the pages that answer real questions and tracking change over time. Personal data collected through your forms falls under the Saudi PDPL, enforced by SDAIA since September 2023. This is not legal advice.
The market is young: the ranges below are a 2026 ballpark drawn from typical specialist agency quotes, and they vary widely.
| Service | 2026 ballpark | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Initial diagnostic of answers | USD 2,000 to 6,000 | One set of questions, two languages |
| Clean-up of public information | USD 1,500 to 5,000 | Directories, profiles, listings |
| Rework of pages per issue | USD 5,000 to 20,000 | Depends on the number of topics and partner review |
| Monthly monitoring | USD 1,000 to 3,500 a month | Records, adjustments, report |
| Additional Arabic content | +20 to 40% | Specialist writing and review |
At Kolonell, this work is on quote, after a diagnostic.
How to measure it without fooling yourself
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The only honest measure is a dated record: the same questions, asked at fixed intervals, in Arabic and in English, with the answers archived. Three indicators are tracked: the share of answers that mention the firm, the accuracy of what is said (services, licences, address) and the presence of competitors. Answers vary from one day to the next, so you need series over several months before drawing conclusions. Be wary of any report that does not show the exact questions.
Mini case study
Illustrative example: "Najd Fiduciary Partners", 14 people, two partners, a client base of families and groups setting up in the Kingdom. The initial record covers 20 questions: the firm appears in 2 answers, or 10%, and one answer attributes to it a service it does not offer.
Six-month budget, ballpark: diagnostic USD 4,000 + monitoring 6 x USD 1,500 = USD 13,000. If the annual fees of a typical fiduciary mandate are around USD 20,000, one additional mandate covers the investment. Nothing guarantees that mandate: it is a break-even calculation, not a promise.
FAQ
How long before the answers change?
Allow 3 to 6 months to see a trend in a dated record. Corrections of wrong public information often show faster than new mentions.
Should we publish in Arabic?
Yes if your Saudi clients ask their questions in Arabic, which is common. A record of 20 questions in each language quickly shows the gap between the two versions.
Can we be named without revealing our clients?
Yes. What matters is precise information about the firm: 5 to 10 pages per issue, named partners, the jurisdictions covered and the licences actually held.
Is this different from Google SEO?
The foundations overlap by roughly two thirds: clear content, consistency, authority. The measurement differs: you track dated AI answers rather than positions.
How much does a diagnostic cost?
On the market, USD 2,000 to 6,000 as a 2026 ballpark. At Kolonell, the scope and the price are set on quote.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record what AI assistants like ChatGPT say about your firm today, in Arabic and English, and price what needs fixing. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
