Emerging Future Trends Defining the 2026 Regional Economy

Verifying the development of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC previously this month stated that the usage of AI amongst the workforce in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of staff members in the region utilizing it in their jobs over the previous 12 months.

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the innovation sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are ready to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent global standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance community, including national efforts led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the region appealing, including having more pragmatic laws to allow for experimentation and development," stated the report.

Leading company leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how nations from the two areas can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and worldwide policymakers, presidents, CEOs, business leaders, financiers, and industry experts attended the very first Global Company 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 products from Latin America. And exports to Latin America from the region were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers said. Both regions count on each other for necessary items.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost 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 area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC counts on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for lorries and Chile for wood items, stated a declaration.

The forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", checks out how businesses can take advantage of the altering patterns of international demand and what function Dubai can play in assisting in the next action in service relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC however globally too, by acting as an info and research centre, by offering company documentation, providing legal services, facilitating networking chances by means of signature organization events and providing practically every conceivable organization option, it specified.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will stay solid but sluggish a little. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, brand-new industries, and public investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector development will speed up, balancing out in part lower oil costs; fiscal balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits continue in other places.

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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 government policies drawing in funds and talent, said magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). During a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Venture Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears appealing.

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Reacting to a question on regional start-ups' prospects of gaining from current financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Creator and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much going for us in the area: the low cost of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, guideline and data privacy; and actually strong academic institutions that are significantly looking at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She added: "Our supreme objective is to see this area, specifically the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our greatest driver today is purchasing skill, since in the AI race, it's the technical skill that actually wins."Concentrating on the attractiveness of the region for investors, Christos Mastoras, Founder and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, stated: "I think we are very lucky to onboard the 3 biggest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for investment in the area.

"International growth funds are coming in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the environment The ability of the UAE and regional federal governments to bring in talent; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here as well as inflow internationally are the key foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of handle the greatest values, with 250 "biggest ticket size" offers recorded in 2025 in the country.