Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

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

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the technology sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are all set to deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent worldwide criteria, supported by the Kingdom's information governance environment, including national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the region attractive, consisting of having more pragmatic laws to allow for experimentation and development," said the report.

Top organization leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how nations from the 2 regions can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and worldwide policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, magnate, investors, and market experts participated in the very first Global Company Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Accelerating Regional Industrial Expansion through Innovation

In 2015 the GCC comprised of the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, imported $11 billion worth of products from Latin America. And exports to Latin America from the region were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers stated. Both regions count on each other for important products.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the region's total sugar imports, it included. Brazil is by far the biggest trading partner for nations in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC relies on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood products, said a statement.

The online forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Moving Synergies", explores how companies can benefit from the changing patterns of worldwide need and what role 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 however worldwide too, by functioning as a details and research centre, by offering organization documents, using legal services, assisting in networking chances through signature service occasions and providing almost every imaginable organization solution, it stated.

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

Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 Regional Market

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 federal government policies drawing in funds and skill, said company leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). During a panel discussion on the very first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Responding to a concern on local startups' prospects of gaining from recent financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have a lot opting for us in the region: the low expense of energy, an extremely progressive federal government that is ahead in policy, policy and information privacy; and truly strong academic organizations that are progressively taking a look at AI and ending up technical talent in AI."She included: "Our ultimate objective is to see this area, particularly the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

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

"International development funds are coming in, which reveals clear signs of maturity of the ecosystem The capability of the UAE and local governments to bring in skill; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here in addition to inflow globally are the key structure blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of handle the greatest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals recorded in 2025 in the nation.