Emerging Strategic Shifts Shaping the 2026 GCC Market

Affirming the development of AI in the region, a report released by PwC earlier this month stated that the usage of AI among the workforce in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of workers in the area using it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the technology sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are all set to release AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent international standard, supported by the Kingdom's information governance community, including nationwide efforts 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.

Leading business leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America just recently explored how nations from the 2 areas can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and global policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, business leaders, investors, and market professionals attended the very first Global Organization Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Emerging Future Trends Shaping the 2026 GCC Market

In 2015 the GCC made up 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 statement from organisers said. Both regions rely on each other for necessary items.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the region's overall sugar imports, it added. Brazil is without a doubt the biggest trading partner for nations in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood products, said a declaration.

The online forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", explores how companies can take advantage of the altering patterns of global demand and what function 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 but internationally too, by functioning as an information and research study centre, by supplying business documents, offering legal services, assisting in networking chances by means of signature business occasions and delivering almost every conceivable service option, it mentioned.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay solid however slow somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new markets, and public investment; inflation will stay soft, while financial policy will loosen up. Hydrocarbons sector growth will accelerate, balancing out in part lower oil costs; financial balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits persist in other places.

How to Optimise GCC Strategy in 2026

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 federal government policies attracting funds and talent, said business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers agreed that the emerging local investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on regional startups' prospects of benefiting from recent investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Handling Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have so much choosing us in the region: the low cost of energy, a very progressive government that is ahead in policy, policy and information personal privacy; and really strong instructional institutions that are significantly looking 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 motorist today is investing in talent, since in the AI race, it's the technical talent that really wins."Concentrating on the appearance of the area for investors, Christos Mastoras, Creator and Handling Partner of Iliad Partners, stated: "I believe we are extremely fortunate 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 community The ability of the UAE and local federal governments to attract talent; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here in addition to inflow worldwide are the essential building blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of deals with the highest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" offers taped in 2025 in the country.