Predicting the 2026 Middle East Business Environment

Verifying the growth of AI in the area, a report launched by PwC earlier this month said that the use of AI amongst the workforce in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of workers in the region using it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the technology sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are all set to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent global benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's data governance environment, consisting of nationwide initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

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

Leading magnate, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America just recently explored how countries from the two areas can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and global policymakers, presidents, CEOs, magnate, financiers, and market specialists participated in the very first Global Company Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

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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 essential products.

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 without a doubt the largest trading partner for countries in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC counts on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for cars and Chile for wood products, said a statement.

The forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Moving Synergies", explores how organizations can take advantage of the altering patterns of global 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 however internationally too, by functioning as an information and research study centre, by offering service paperwork, using legal services, facilitating networking opportunities via signature organization occasions and providing almost every imaginable business service, it mentioned.

GCC development will enhance in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay solid however sluggish slightly. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new markets, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector development will accelerate, balancing out in part lower oil prices; financial balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits persist in other places.

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

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Responding to a concern on regional start-ups' prospects of taking advantage of current investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have so much choosing us in the area: the low cost of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and data personal privacy; and really strong academic organizations that are significantly looking at AI and turning out technical skill in AI."She included: "Our supreme objective is to see this area, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our greatest driver today is investing in talent, since in the AI race, it's the technical talent that truly wins."Focusing on the beauty of the area for investors, Christos Mastoras, Creator and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, stated: "I think we are extremely lucky to onboard the three biggest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for investment in the region.

"International development funds are can be found in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the ecosystem The ability of the UAE and regional federal governments to bring in talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow worldwide are the essential building blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of deals with the greatest worths, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the nation.