Predicting the 2026 Middle East Business Landscape

Affirming the development of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC earlier this month said that the usage of AI amongst the labor force in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of employees in the area using it in their jobs over the previous 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the technology sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are all set to release AI properly, well above the 76 percent worldwide standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance ecosystem, consisting of nationwide efforts led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the area attractive, including having more pragmatic laws to enable experimentation and development," said the report.

Leading service leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America just recently checked out how countries from the two areas can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and worldwide policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, magnate, investors, and industry professionals participated in the first Global Business Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Operational Excellence: a Strategic Driver for Regional Growth

In 2015 the GCC comprised 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 area were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers stated. Both areas count on each other for essential products.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the region's overall sugar imports, it added. Brazil is by far the largest trading partner for nations in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC relies on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood items, stated a statement.

The online forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Shifting Synergies", explores how businesses can take advantage of the altering patterns of worldwide demand and what role Dubai can play in facilitating the next step in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but internationally too, by serving as an info and research centre, by providing organization paperwork, using legal services, helping with networking chances through signature organization occasions and delivering practically every possible service service, it specified.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will remain strong but sluggish somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new industries, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector development will speed up, offsetting in part lower oil costs; fiscal balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits continue in other places.

Evaluating Legacy Models and 2026 Business Strategies

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and larger Middle East area is poised for the next wave of financial investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies attracting funds and talent, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel discussion on the first day of SEF 2026 examining "What Does the Next Year of Venture Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging local financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on regional startups' prospects of benefiting from current financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Managing Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have a lot choosing us in the region: the low expense of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and information personal privacy; and really strong universities that are increasingly looking at AI and turning out technical skill in AI."She added: "Our supreme goal is to see this region, specifically the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

Our biggest chauffeur right now is investing in skill, because in the AI race, it's the technical talent that truly wins.

"International development funds are being available in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the community The ability of the UAE and regional federal governments to attract talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow internationally are the key foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of handle the highest values, with 250 "biggest ticket size" offers tape-recorded in 2025 in the country.