Navigating the 2026 Middle East Business Environment

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report released by PwC earlier this month said that the use of AI among the labor force in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of employees in the area utilizing it in their tasks over the previous 12 months.

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the technology sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are prepared to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent global benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's information governance community, including national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

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

Top magnate, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how nations from the 2 areas can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and worldwide policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, company leaders, investors, and market professionals attended the very first Global Company Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

How to Secure a Competitive Edge in 2026

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 declaration from organisers said. Both regions count on each other for essential products.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the area's overall sugar imports, it included. 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 relies on Brazil for meat (generally poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for cars and Chile for wood items, stated a declaration.

The forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", explores how companies can take advantage of the changing patterns of worldwide need and what function Dubai can play in assisting in the next action in organization relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but worldwide too, by serving as an info and research study centre, by providing company documents, offering legal services, helping with networking opportunities by means of signature organization events and providing practically every conceivable business service, it stated.

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

Essential Tips for Industrial Excellence in Dubai

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 federal government policies attracting funds and skill, said business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on local startups' prospects of gaining from recent investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Handling Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have a lot going for us in the area: the low cost of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and information personal privacy; and actually strong instructional institutions that are significantly taking a look at AI and turning out technical talent in AI."She included: "Our supreme objective is to see this region, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our greatest motorist right now is investing in skill, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical skill that actually wins.

"International growth funds are can be found in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the ecosystem The capability of the UAE and regional governments to draw in talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow globally are the essential foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of handle the greatest worths, with 250 "biggest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the country.