How to Maintain a Leading Advantage in 2026

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC earlier this month stated that the use of AI among the workforce in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of employees in the region 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 stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are all set to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent worldwide standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance ecosystem, consisting of national efforts led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

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

Leading magnate, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how countries 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, organization leaders, investors, and industry specialists participated in the very first Global Business Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Accelerating Regional Industrial Expansion through Strategy

In 2015 the GCC made up 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 region were $5.6 billion, a declaration from organisers said. Both regions depend on each other for necessary products.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the area'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 counts on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for lorries and Chile for wood products, stated a declaration.

The forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Moving Synergies", explores how companies can benefit from the altering patterns of worldwide need and what role Dubai can play in helping with the next action in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC however internationally too, by serving as a details and research study centre, by providing service documentation, offering legal services, facilitating networking chances through signature business occasions and providing almost every imaginable business option, it stated.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will stay solid however sluggish slightly. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, new industries, and public financial investment; inflation will remain soft, while monetary policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector growth will speed up, offsetting in part lower oil rates; fiscal balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits continue elsewhere.

Methods for Scaling GCC Operations in 2026

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and broader Middle East region is poised for the next wave of investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies bring in funds and skill, stated business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel discussion on the first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers agreed that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on regional start-ups' potential customers of benefiting from current financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Managing Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have a lot opting for us in the region: the low cost of energy, an extremely progressive federal government that is ahead in policy, guideline and data privacy; and really strong universities that are progressively taking a look at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She added: "Our supreme goal is to see this area, specifically the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our most significant driver right now is investing in talent, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical skill that actually wins.

"International development funds are can be found in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the environment The ability of the UAE and regional governments to draw in skill; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here in addition to inflow globally are the key foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of deals with the greatest worths, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals recorded in 2025 in the nation.