Navigating the Next Middle East Business Environment

Affirming the growth of AI in the area, a report launched by PwC earlier this month said that the usage of AI amongst the labor force in the Middle East continues to increase, with 75 percent of staff members in the area utilizing it in their tasks over the past 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's progress in the innovation sector and said that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are ready to release AI properly, well above the 76 percent global standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance community, including nationwide efforts led by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority.

Policymakers are believing holistically about how to make the region attractive, consisting of having more pragmatic laws to permit experimentation and growth," stated the report.

Top magnate, policymakers and financiers 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 worldwide policymakers, presidents, CEOs, magnate, investors, and industry professionals participated in the first Global Company Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Will Strategic Analytics Drive Middle East Corporate Growth?

In 2015 the GCC made up 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 area were $5.6 billion, a statement from organisers stated. Both regions rely on each other for vital products.

In 2015 Latin America provided nearly half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the area's overall sugar imports, it included. Brazil is without a doubt the largest trading partner for countries in the area, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (mainly poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for vehicles and Chile for wood items, said a statement.

The forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Moving Synergies", checks out how services can gain from the changing patterns of international need and what role Dubai can play in assisting in the next step in business relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not just in the UAE and in the GCC but worldwide too, by acting as an info and research centre, by offering business paperwork, offering legal services, facilitating networking opportunities through signature organization events and delivering nearly every imaginable company option, it mentioned.

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

How to Scale Regional Operations in 2026

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 government policies drawing in funds and skill, stated business leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel discussion on the very first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Look Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a question on regional startups' potential customers of gaining from current financial investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC said: "We have a lot opting for us in the region: the low expense of energy, an extremely progressive federal government that is ahead in policy, policy and data privacy; and actually strong educational institutions that are significantly taking a look at AI and turning out technical talent in AI."She added: "Our ultimate goal is to see this area, specifically the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

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

"International development funds are coming in, which shows clear signs of maturity of the ecosystem The ability of the UAE and local federal governments to attract skill; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here along with inflow internationally are the essential foundation."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 tape-recorded in 2025 in the nation.