Emerging Strategic Shifts Defining the 2026 GCC Market

Verifying the development of AI in the region, a report launched by PwC previously this month said that the usage of AI among 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 previous 12 months.

In November, a report launched by KPMG highlighted Saudi Arabia's development in the technology sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are ready to deploy AI properly, well above the 76 percent worldwide standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance environment, consisting of national initiatives 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 enable experimentation and development," said the report.

Top company 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, presidents, CEOs, magnate, investors, and industry experts went to the first Global Service Forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

Driving Regional Industrial Expansion through Innovation

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 declaration from organisers stated. Both regions depend on each other for important products.

In 2015 Latin America provided almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the area's overall sugar imports, it added. Brazil is without a doubt the largest trading partner for countries in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Amongst the Latin American states, the GCC relies on Brazil for meat (primarily poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for vehicles and Chile for wood products, said a declaration.

The online forum was organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the theme "Moving Synergies", checks out how companies can benefit from the changing patterns of global 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 worldwide too, by acting as a details and research centre, by providing company documents, offering legal services, facilitating networking opportunities via signature organization events and delivering almost every conceivable business solution, it specified.

GCC development will strengthen in 2026, led by faster expansion in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will remain solid however slow somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new industries, and public investment; inflation will remain soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will speed up, balancing out in part lower oil prices; financial balances will be blended, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits persist elsewhere.

Analysing 2026 Market Research for Future Insights

SHARJAH (WAM) The GCC and wider 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 bring in funds and talent, stated magnate at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). During a panel conversation on the first day of SEF 2026 taking a look at "What Does the Next Year of Endeavor Capital Appear Like", speakers agreed that the emerging local financial investment landscape appears appealing.

ANSR July GCC PRs 50DR+

Reacting to a concern on regional startups' prospects of gaining from recent financial investments in digital facilities, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Handling Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have so much choosing us in the area: the low cost of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, guideline and information personal privacy; and actually strong universities that are significantly taking a look at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She included: "Our ultimate objective is to see this area, specifically the GCC, become an AI superpower.

Our biggest chauffeur right now is investing in talent, due to the fact that in the AI race, it's the technical skill that truly wins.

"International growth funds are can be found in, which shows clear indications of maturity of the community The capability of the UAE and regional federal governments to attract talent; their innovation-first technique, abundance of capital here as well as inflow internationally are the crucial building blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the variety of offers with the greatest values, with 250 "largest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the nation.