Across the Middle East, “Enterprise Architecture” has become a brand — a badge claimed by banks, airlines, ministries, telecom giants, and consulting firms alike.

But behind the banners and certifications, a pattern reveals itself.

Most EA initiatives in the region:

• Focused on one high-profile project

• Modeled only 5th Perspective: Implementation

• Delivered IT integrations, tool-to-tool diagrams, and dashboards

• Ignored 90% of real enterprise activity — especially 6th Perspective: Operations

• And within 18 months, the architecture teams had moved on — leaving no enterprise anatomy behind

and 24 months later no one usage those documents anymore.

We applied ICMG Enterprise Tool X-Ray™—a diagnostic-first model to evaluate enterprise projects using Stage 2–7 Enterprise Diagnosis.

Six Perspectives

Let’s go industry by industry and break down what was claimed — and what was quietly left behind.

1. Airlines: EA That Stopped at Loyalty and Onboarding

Claim: A national airline presented its revamped loyalty program and digital HR onboarding as proof of EA-driven modernization.

What Was Actually Done:

• CRM updated

• Loyalty and HR apps integrated

• APIs and data dashboards rolled out

  
  

Perspective Reality:

• Only Perspective 5 (Implementation) was modeled

• No Component (4), no System Logic (3), no Process (2), no Strategy (1), no Operations (6)
  

What Was Missing:

• No model of gate-to-turnaround timing logic

• No mapping of safety protocols, crew scheduling, or flight operations

• No visibility into what happens when things go wrong on the tarmac or terminal
  

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

2. Telecom: EA That Ended at the App Store

Claim: A telecom operator claimed EA success via CRM overhaul and new mobile self-care functionality.

What Was Actually Done:

• App experience streamlined

• Customer data unified

• New dashboards built

Perspective Reality:

• All activity stayed in Perspective 5 (Implementation)

• No business process logic modeled

• No rule-based escalation logic defined

• No linkage to core departments like Finance, Engineering, or Legal

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

3. Banking: EA That Upgraded One Core, Ignored the Nerve System

Claim: A major bank claimed EA transformation via core banking modernization.

What Was Actually Done:

• Core system replaced

• New dashboards launched

• GRC framework reviewed

Perspective Reality:

• Only Perspective 5 implemented and documented

• No connection to Product logic, Lending process, or KYC timing

• Treasury, wealth, customer onboarding, risk — all untouched

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

4. Government: EA Confined to One “Smart” District

Claim: A Gulf city claimed EA transformation by launching a unified city services platform.

What Was Actually Done:

• App platform delivered

• APIs for 10 departments exposed

• IT standards defined

Perspective Reality:

• Purely Implementation Perspective with isolated diagrams

• No rules for inter-ministerial workflows

• No governance escalation paths

• No modeling of legislation or operational decision flows

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

5. Oil & Gas: EA That Was Really SAP Documentation

Claim: A national oil major declared EA maturity post - SAP rollout.

What Was Actually Done:

• ERP modules deployed

• Integration maps created

• Project governance formalized

Perspective Reality:

• SAP wiring documented in Perspective 5

• No component logic for drilling, refinery, safety

• No modeling of field operations, risk flows, or real-time supply disruptions

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

6. Retail: EA That Didn’t Survive the Aisles

Claim: A regional retailer equated EA with campaign automation and reporting dashboards.

What Was Actually Done:

• Centralized campaign workflows

• Integrated ad spend tracking

• Dashboards built in Power BI

Perspective Reality:

• Only marketing operations modeled

• No integration with inventory, HR staffing, fulfillment, pricing rules

• No end-to-end product cycle logic captured

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

7. Healthcare: EA That Diagnosed Nothing

Claim: A national healthcare system implemented EA through cyber risk audits and analytics dashboards.

What Was Actually Done:

• ISO maturity framework

• Systems risk scored

• Audit trail mechanisms deployed

Perspective Reality:

• Security controls implemented

• No rule mapping for patient eligibility, claim workflows, or doctor coordination

• No modeling of diagnostic-to-treatment chains or approval flow timing

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

8. Logistics: EA Built on a GPS Signal

Claim: A logistics firm cited EA through fleet tracking and notification Perspectives.

What Was Actually Done:

• IoT installed

• Delivery locations mapped

• Alerts and exceptions configured

Perspective Reality:

• Entirely tech stack driven

• No business rule logic across customs, packaging, or 3PL

• No ops diagnostic capability when things go wrong
  

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

9. Education: EA That Forgot the Faculty

Claim: A regional university group claimed EA maturity based on analytics dashboards.

What Was Actually Done:

• Student dashboards created

• Performance metrics tracked

• Learning KPIs visualized

Perspective Reality:

• No modeling of learning flows, research funding, staff scheduling

• No escalation logic for curriculum change or accreditation gaps

• No business rule decomposition for exam grading or academic pathways

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

10. Insurance: EA That Died at Policy Level

Claim: An insurer celebrated EA success with its new policy admin platform.

What Was Actually Done:

• Unified customer profiles

• Document workflows streamlined

• Access control hardened

Perspective Reality:

• No integration of claims logic, fraud escalation, or payout timing

• No modeling of reinsurance, financial cycles, or agent incentives

• All automation stuck at policy Perspective

Perspective 6 Exposé:

Conclusion:

If 90% of Your Enterprise Is Still Manual, You Didn’t Do EA

Let’s stop pretending.

Most EA in the region is:

• Project-based

• Tool-centric

• Perspective 5 (Tech Implementation bound)

• And completely blind to Perspective 6 — where 90% of your business lives
  

You diagrammed Salesforce → SAP → Tableau. You passed TOGAF Level 1. You modeled one process for 1,000 employees.

But what about:

• The operations staff?

• The escalation flow when something breaks?

• The business rules that drive real-world timing and decisions?

You don’t have Enterprise Architecture. You have project documentation with aspirations.