Predicting the 2026 Middle East Business Landscape

Affirming the development of AI in the region, a report released by PwC earlier this month stated that the use of AI amongst the labor force in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of workers in the region utilizing it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress 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 benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's information governance community, including nationwide initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the area appealing, including having more practical laws to enable experimentation and growth," stated the report.

Leading service leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America just recently explored how nations from the two areas can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and global policymakers, presidents, CEOs, magnate, investors, and market experts participated in the very first Global Service Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Emerging Future Trends Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

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 area were $5.6 billion, a declaration from organisers said. Both regions count on each other for essential 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 without a doubt the largest trading partner for countries in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood items, said a statement.

The online forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Moving Synergies", checks out how businesses can take advantage of the altering patterns of international demand and what function Dubai can play in assisting in the next step in organization relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC however worldwide too, by acting as a details and research centre, by providing organization documentation, using legal services, assisting in networking chances through signature business events and providing almost every possible organization solution, it specified.

GCC development will strengthen in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will stay solid however slow slightly. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, brand-new industries, and public investment; inflation will stay soft, while financial policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will speed up, balancing out in part lower oil costs; fiscal balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits continue elsewhere.

Navigating the 2026 Middle East Corporate Environment

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and wider Middle East area is poised for the next wave of investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies bring in funds and skill, stated company leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel conversation on the very first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Endeavor Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging local financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on regional start-ups' prospects of taking advantage of recent investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have a lot going for us in the area: the low expense of energy, an extremely progressive federal government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information privacy; and actually strong educational institutions that are significantly looking at AI and turning out technical talent in AI."She added: "Our ultimate objective is to see this area, particularly the GCC, become 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 truly wins.

"International growth funds are can be found in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the ecosystem The capability of the UAE and local governments to bring in talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow internationally are the essential building blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of deals with the highest values, with 250 "biggest ticket size" offers taped in 2025 in the nation.