Navigating the 2026 Middle East Business Environment

Verifying the development of AI in the region, a report released 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 employees in the area utilizing it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the technology sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are all set to release AI properly, well above the 76 percent worldwide criteria, supported by the Kingdom's information governance ecosystem, consisting of national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are thinking holistically about how to make the area attractive, including having more pragmatic laws to permit experimentation and development," stated the report.

Leading service leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently checked out how countries from the two regions can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and worldwide policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, business leaders, investors, and market professionals participated in the very first Global Organization Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

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

In 2015 Latin America supplied nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the area's total sugar imports, it added. Brazil is by far the largest trading partner for countries 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 items, said a statement.

The forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Shifting Synergies", checks out how businesses can gain from the changing patterns of global demand and what role Dubai can play in facilitating the next action in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC but worldwide too, by acting as an info and research centre, by providing business documentation, providing legal services, facilitating networking chances through signature organization events and providing almost every conceivable company option, it mentioned.

GCC growth will strengthen in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will remain strong however slow somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, new industries, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will accelerate, balancing out in part lower oil rates; financial balances will be combined, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits persist elsewhere.

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SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and wider Middle East region 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, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel conversation on the very first day of SEF 2026 examining "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers concurred that the emerging local investment landscape appears appealing.

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Responding to a concern on regional startups' prospects of gaining from recent investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much choosing us in the region: the low cost of energy, a very progressive federal government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information privacy; and actually strong instructional organizations that are progressively looking at AI and turning out technical talent in AI."She included: "Our supreme goal is to see this area, specifically the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our biggest driver right now is purchasing talent, because in the AI race, it's the technical talent that actually wins."Focusing on the beauty of the region for investors, Christos Mastoras, Founder and Handling Partner of Iliad Partners, said: "I think we are really fortunate to onboard the three biggest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for investment in the area.

"International development funds are coming in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the community The ability of the UAE and regional governments to draw in skill; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here as well as inflow globally are the crucial foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of deals with the greatest worths, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals taped in 2025 in the country.