Emerging Future Trends Shaping the 2026 GCC Economy

Affirming the growth of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC previously this month stated that the usage of AI among the labor force in the Middle East continues to rise, with 75 percent of staff members in the region using it in their jobs over the past 12 months.

In November, a report released by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the technology sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are all set to release AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent global benchmark, supported by the Kingdom's information governance environment, including national efforts led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

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

Top organization leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently checked out how countries from the two regions can grow trade in between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and global policymakers, heads of state, CEOs, business leaders, investors, and industry experts attended the first Global Company Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Operational Excellence: a Strategic Pillar for Regional Success

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 essential products.

In 2015 Latin America provided almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 per cent of the area's overall sugar imports, it added. Brazil is by far the biggest trading partner for nations 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 vehicles and Chile for wood products, stated a declaration.

The online 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 role Dubai can play in facilitating the next step in company relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC however internationally too, by serving as an information and research centre, by offering service paperwork, providing legal services, assisting in networking chances through signature company occasions and delivering almost every imaginable business service, it specified.

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

Emerging Future Shifts Shaping the 2026 Regional Market

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and larger Middle East region is poised for the next wave of investments in AI and tech-led sectors, with business-friendly and innovation-focused government policies attracting funds and skill, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Celebration (SEF 2026). During a panel conversation on the very first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers agreed that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears promising.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on regional startups' potential customers of taking advantage of current financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing 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, regulation and data personal privacy; and really strong instructional institutions that are increasingly taking a look 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 most significant chauffeur right now is investing in talent, because in the AI race, it's the technical talent that truly wins.

"International development funds are coming in, which shows clear indications of maturity of the community The capability of the UAE and regional federal governments to bring in talent; their innovation-first method, abundance of capital here along with inflow globally are the key foundation."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital said that within the area, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of offers with the greatest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals recorded in 2025 in the nation.