Operational Excellence: a Strategic Pillar for 2026 Growth

Verifying the growth of AI in the region, a report released by PwC previously this month said that the use of AI among the workforce in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of staff members in the area utilizing it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the innovation sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are prepared to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent worldwide benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's data governance environment, including nationwide initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are thinking holistically about how to make the region appealing, including having more pragmatic laws to enable for experimentation and growth," said the report.

Top service leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how countries from the 2 regions can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and international policymakers, presidents, CEOs, organization leaders, financiers, and market professionals attended the very first Global Company Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Accelerating Regional Corporate Growth through Innovation

In 2015 the GCC made up of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, imported $11 billion worth of items from Latin America. And exports to Latin America from the region were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers said. Both regions depend on each other for important items.

In 2015 Latin America supplied nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the region's total sugar imports, it added. Brazil is by far the biggest trading partner for nations in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC relies on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for lorries and Chile for wood products, stated a declaration.

The online forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Moving Synergies", checks out how services can benefit from the altering patterns of international need and what function Dubai can play in facilitating the next action in service relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC but internationally too, by serving as a details and research study centre, by supplying organization documentation, using legal services, helping with networking chances via signature service occasions and delivering practically every conceivable service option, it stated.

GCC growth will strengthen in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay strong but slow slightly. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, brand-new markets, and public investment; inflation will stay soft, while financial policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector development will accelerate, offsetting in part lower oil rates; fiscal balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits continue in other places.

Emerging Future Trends Shaping the 2026 Regional Economy

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and larger Middle East region is poised for the next wave of financial investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies drawing in funds and skill, said business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging local financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on local startups' prospects of benefiting from recent financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have a lot opting for us in the region: the low cost of energy, an extremely progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and data personal privacy; and actually strong universities that are significantly taking a look at AI and ending up technical talent in AI."She added: "Our supreme goal is to see this area, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our greatest chauffeur right now is investing in skill, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical skill that truly wins.

"International development funds are can be found in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the environment The ability of the UAE and regional federal governments to attract talent; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here as well as inflow worldwide are the key foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of offers with the highest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals recorded in 2025 in the country.