Emerging Strategic Trends Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

Verifying the growth of AI in the area, a report released by PwC previously this month said 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 previous 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the innovation sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are prepared to deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent global criteria, supported by the Kingdom's information governance ecosystem, including nationwide efforts led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

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

Top organization leaders, policymakers and investors 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 international policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, magnate, financiers, and industry professionals attended the very first Global Organization Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

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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 stated. Both areas depend on each other for vital products.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the area's overall sugar imports, it included. Brazil is without a doubt the biggest trading partner for countries in the area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (primarily poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for cars and Chile for wood products, said a declaration.

The forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", checks out how companies can gain from the changing patterns of worldwide demand and what function Dubai can play in helping with the next action in organization relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC but globally too, by functioning as an info and research study centre, by offering business paperwork, using legal services, helping with networking chances by means of signature company occasions and delivering nearly every imaginable business service, it mentioned.

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

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SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and broader 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, said magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel discussion on the very first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Endeavor Capital Look Like", speakers agreed that the emerging regional investment landscape appears promising.

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Reacting to a question on local startups' prospects of gaining from recent financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much opting for us in the region: the low expense of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and data privacy; and really strong educational institutions that are increasingly taking a look at AI and ending up technical talent in AI."She added: "Our supreme objective is to see this region, specifically the GCC, become an AI superpower.

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

"International growth funds are coming in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the environment The capability of the UAE and local governments to attract talent; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here in addition to inflow worldwide are the essential foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of offers with the greatest worths, with 250 "biggest ticket size" offers recorded in 2025 in the country.