From data to service: unpacking BDA-driven servitization in the MENA financial sector

This paper explores how Big Data Analytics (BDA) enables servitization in Middle East and North Africa (MENA) financial institutions that operate under dual (corporate–Shari’ah) governance, viewing it as a governance-conditioned transformation rather than merely a technological effect. By synthesizing peer-reviewed studies, we identify four recurring barriers—data risks, governance gaps, resource requirements, and organizational inertia—and demonstrate how they act as interconnected frictions within formal oversight structures. While not unique to this context, these challenges are structurally reshaped under Shari’ah governance, where economic and moral legitimacy are simultaneously evaluated. We combine these dynamics into two overarching constructs—legitimacy frictions and capability deployment frictions—that influence the process of translating BDA capabilities into institutionally approved service outcomes. This review offers a testable framework that guides analysts from technical implementation to strategic decision-making, enabling the development of trustworthy, scalable, and Islamically aligned services, and presents a focused agenda for empirical research in established financial institutions.