Navigating the 2026 GCC Business Landscape

Verifying the development of AI in the area, a report launched by PwC previously this month said that the use of AI amongst the labor force in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of workers in the area utilizing 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 stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the nation are ready to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent international benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's information governance environment, consisting of nationwide initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

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

Leading business leaders, policymakers and financiers from the GCC and Latin America recently checked out how nations from the two areas can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 regional and global policymakers, presidents, CEOs, company leaders, investors, and industry experts participated in the very first Global Company Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Key Steps for Industrial Excellence in Dubai

In 2015 the GCC comprised 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 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 per cent of the area's overall sugar imports, it included. Brazil is by far the biggest trading partner for countries in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC counts on Brazil for meat (primarily poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood items, said a declaration.

The forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Shifting Synergies", explores how services can benefit from the altering patterns of international demand and what function Dubai can play in helping with the next step in service relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC but globally too, by acting as an info and research centre, by offering organization documentation, offering legal services, assisting in networking opportunities via signature business events and providing nearly every imaginable organization service, it mentioned.

GCC growth will reinforce in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay solid but sluggish a little. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, new markets, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while financial policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector development will accelerate, offsetting in part lower oil costs; financial balances will be combined, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits persist somewhere else.

Reviewing 2026 Market Data for Strategic Growth

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and wider Middle East area 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 talent, stated business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel discussion on the first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Appear Like", speakers agreed that the emerging regional investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on local startups' potential customers of gaining from current financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have a lot opting for us in the area: the low expense of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information privacy; and actually strong universities that are increasingly taking a look at AI and turning out technical talent in AI."She included: "Our supreme objective is to see this region, particularly the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our most significant driver today is buying talent, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical skill that actually wins."Focusing on the appearance of the area for financiers, Christos Mastoras, Creator and Managing Partner of Iliad Partners, stated: "I believe we are extremely lucky to onboard the 3 biggest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for financial investment in the region.

"International growth funds are being available in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the community The ability of the UAE and local federal governments to draw in talent; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here in addition to inflow internationally are the essential foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of offers with the highest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the country.