Predicting the 2026 Middle East Business Environment

Affirming the development of AI in the area, a report launched by PwC earlier this month stated that the use of AI amongst the workforce in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of employees in the region using it in their tasks over the previous 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the innovation sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are all set to release AI properly, well above the 76 percent global standard, supported by the Kingdom's information governance environment, including nationwide efforts led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are thinking holistically about how to make the region attractive, consisting of having more practical laws to permit experimentation and development," stated the report.

Leading organization leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how countries from the two areas can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and global policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, magnate, investors, and market experts attended the first Global Organization Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Comparing Legacy Systems and Future Economic Strategies

In 2015 the GCC comprised of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, imported $11 billion worth of products 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 vital items.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the area's overall sugar imports, it added. Brazil is by far the biggest trading partner for nations in the area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for vehicles and Chile for wood products, stated a statement.

The forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", checks out how organizations can gain from the altering patterns of international demand and what function Dubai can play in facilitating the next action in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC however internationally too, by serving as an information and research centre, by providing service documentation, providing legal services, facilitating networking chances through signature business occasions and providing practically every imaginable company solution, it specified.

GCC development will enhance in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will remain solid but slow somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, new industries, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while financial policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector development will accelerate, balancing out in part lower oil rates; fiscal balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits persist somewhere else.

How to Secure a Leading Advantage in Dubai

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

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on local startups' potential customers of taking advantage of current financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Managing Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much opting for us in the area: the low expense of energy, a very progressive government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information privacy; and truly strong academic organizations that are progressively taking a look at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She added: "Our ultimate goal is to see this region, particularly the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

Our most significant motorist right now is investing in talent, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical talent that actually wins.

"International development funds are coming in, which shows clear indications of maturity of the ecosystem The ability of the UAE and local federal governments to attract skill; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here along with inflow internationally are the crucial foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of handle the greatest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the country.