Emerging Future Trends Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report released by PwC earlier this month stated that the use of AI amongst the workforce in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of staff members in the area utilizing it in their tasks over the past 12 months.

In November, a report released 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 deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent global standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance community, including national efforts led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the region appealing, consisting of having more practical laws to permit experimentation and growth," stated the report.

Top business leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently checked out how nations from the 2 areas can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and international policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, magnate, investors, and industry professionals went to the first Global Company Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Emerging Strategic Shifts Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

In 2015 the GCC comprised of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, imported $11 billion worth of goods from Latin America. And exports to Latin America from the region were $5.6 billion, a declaration from organisers said. Both areas rely on each other for necessary products.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the region's total sugar imports, it included. Brazil is without a doubt the biggest trading partner for nations in the area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC counts on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood items, stated a declaration.

The online forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", checks out how businesses can gain from the altering patterns of worldwide need and what function Dubai can play in helping with the next action in organization relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but globally too, by serving as an info and research centre, by providing organization documentation, providing legal services, facilitating networking opportunities by means of signature company occasions and providing practically every possible business solution, it specified.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will remain solid however slow a little. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, new markets, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will speed up, offsetting in part lower oil rates; fiscal balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits persist in other places.

The Strategic Benefits of Advanced Market Intelligence

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and wider 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 attracting funds and skill, stated company leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel discussion on the first day of SEF 2026 examining "What Does the Next Year of Endeavor Capital Appear Like", speakers agreed that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Responding to a question on local start-ups' prospects of benefiting from current financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Handling Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have so much opting for us in the region: the low cost of energy, an extremely progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and information privacy; and actually strong academic organizations that are increasingly looking at AI and turning out technical skill in AI."She added: "Our ultimate objective is to see this region, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

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

"International growth funds are being available in, which shows clear indications of maturity of the environment The ability of the UAE and local federal governments to draw in talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here along with inflow globally are the key building blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of deals with the greatest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" offers recorded in 2025 in the nation.