How to Scale Regional Strategy in 2026

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report released by PwC previously this month said that the use of AI among the workforce in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of workers in the area utilizing it in their tasks over the previous 12 months.

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the innovation sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are prepared to deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent international standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance ecosystem, including national initiatives led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the area attractive, consisting of having more practical laws to enable experimentation and development," said the report.

Leading magnate, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently checked out how nations from the 2 regions can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and worldwide policymakers, presidents, CEOs, magnate, investors, and industry experts went to the first Global Service Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Can Strategic Research Drive Dubai Industrial Growth?

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 region were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers said. Both areas rely on each other for necessary products.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the region's overall sugar imports, it included. Brazil is by far the largest trading partner for countries in the region, 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, stated a statement.

The online forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Moving Synergies", checks out how businesses can take advantage of the altering patterns of worldwide need and what role Dubai can play in facilitating the next action in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but internationally too, by functioning as an info and research centre, by providing service documentation, using legal services, facilitating networking opportunities through signature business occasions and providing practically every imaginable business solution, it mentioned.

GCC growth will enhance in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil development will stay strong however slow slightly. Non-oil activity will be supported by population development, brand-new markets, and public financial investment; inflation will stay soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will accelerate, offsetting in part lower oil costs; financial balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, but deficits persist somewhere else.

Driving Dubai Industrial Growth through Innovation

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and larger 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 attracting funds and talent, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel conversation on the very first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Venture Capital Look Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on local start-ups' potential customers of gaining from current 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 very progressive government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information personal privacy; and actually strong instructional institutions that are significantly taking a look at AI and turning out technical skill in AI."She included: "Our ultimate goal is to see this region, specifically the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

Our biggest driver right now is investing in skill, since in the AI race, it's the technical talent that truly wins.

"International development funds are being available in, which reveals clear indications of maturity of the community The ability of the UAE and regional governments to attract talent; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here as well as inflow worldwide are the crucial structure blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of handle the highest values, with 250 "biggest ticket size" deals recorded in 2025 in the country.