Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 Regional Market

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC previously this month said that the usage of AI among the labor force in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of workers in the region using it in their jobs 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 nation are all set to deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent worldwide benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's data governance ecosystem, including nationwide initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Policymakers are thinking holistically about how to make the region attractive, consisting of having more pragmatic laws to permit experimentation and growth," said the report.

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

Emerging Strategic Trends Shaping the 2026 GCC Market

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 area were $5.6 billion, a declaration from organisers said. Both regions rely on each other for essential products.

In 2015 Latin America provided almost 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 biggest trading partner for nations in the area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC counts on Brazil for meat (generally poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood products, said a statement.

The online forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Shifting Synergies", checks out how organizations can benefit from the changing patterns of international demand and what function Dubai can play in helping with the next step in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but internationally too, by functioning as a details and research study centre, by offering organization documentation, using legal services, facilitating networking chances via signature business events and providing almost every conceivable organization service, it stated.

GCC development will strengthen in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay solid however slow a little. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new markets, and public financial investment; inflation will remain soft, while monetary policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector development will accelerate, offsetting in part lower oil costs; fiscal balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits continue elsewhere.

Accelerating Dubai Industrial Growth through Strategy

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and broader Middle East region is poised for the next wave of financial investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies drawing in funds and skill, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 examining "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging local financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on local start-ups' potential customers of gaining from recent financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much going for us in the area: the low expense of energy, an extremely progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and data privacy; and truly strong universities that are increasingly looking at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She included: "Our ultimate objective is to see this area, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our most significant chauffeur today is investing in skill, because in the AI race, it's the technical talent that actually wins."Focusing on the beauty of the area for investors, Christos Mastoras, Founder and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, said: "I believe we are extremely lucky to onboard the three largest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for investment in the region.

"International growth funds are can be found in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the community The capability of the UAE and local federal governments to draw in skill; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow internationally are the crucial structure blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of handle the highest values, with 250 "biggest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the nation.