Navigating the 2026 GCC Business Landscape

Verifying the development of AI in the region, a report released by PwC earlier this month said that the usage of AI amongst 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 innovation sector and stated that 84 percent of CEOs in the country are prepared to deploy AI responsibly, well above the 76 percent worldwide standard, supported by the Kingdom's data governance ecosystem, consisting of national efforts led by the Saudi Data and Expert System Authority.

Policymakers are thinking holistically about how to make the region appealing, including having more pragmatic laws to permit experimentation and growth," stated the report.

Top company leaders, policymakers and investors from the GCC and Latin America recently explored how nations from the two areas can grow trade between each other in Dubai, UAE.More than 500 local and worldwide policymakers, presidents, CEOs, organization leaders, investors, and industry specialists went to the very first Global Service Online forum Latin America held at the Atlantis Palm - Dubai.

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In 2015 the GCC comprised 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 items.

In 2015 Latin America supplied almost half the meat imports into the GCC and 36 percent of the region's total sugar imports, it added. Brazil is without a doubt the largest trading partner for nations in the region, followed by Argentina and Mexico. Among the Latin American states, the GCC depends on Brazil for meat (primarily poultry), Argentina for cereals, Mexico for automobiles and Chile for wood items, said a declaration.

The online forum was arranged by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce under the style "Shifting Synergies", checks out how businesses can take advantage of the changing patterns of global need and what function Dubai can play in facilitating the next step in service relations. Dubai Chamber takes a pioneering position not only in the UAE and in the GCC however internationally too, by functioning as an info and research centre, by providing business documents, providing legal services, assisting in networking opportunities via signature organization occasions and delivering practically every conceivable service service, it stated.

GCC development will reinforce in 2026, led by faster growth in hydrocarbons; non-oil growth will stay solid however slow somewhat. Non-oil activity will be supported by population growth, brand-new markets, and public investment; inflation will remain soft, while monetary policy will loosen. Hydrocarbons sector growth will speed up, offsetting in part lower oil prices; financial balances will be mixed, with surpluses in UAE and Qatar, however deficits persist in other places.

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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 bring in funds and talent, stated organization leaders at the 9th edition of Sharjah Entrepreneurial Festival (SEF 2026). Throughout a panel discussion on the first day of SEF 2026 analyzing "What Does the Next Year of Equity Capital Appear Like", speakers concurred that the emerging regional investment landscape appears appealing.

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Reacting to a question on local start-ups' potential customers of gaining from current investments in digital infrastructure, Tala Al Jabri, Founder and Managing Partner of Wyld VC stated: "We have so much choosing us in the region: the low cost of energy, a really progressive government that is ahead in policy, regulation and information personal privacy; and really strong academic institutions that are progressively taking a look at AI and ending up technical skill in AI."She included: "Our ultimate goal is to see this area, specifically the GCC, end up being an AI superpower.

Our biggest chauffeur right now is purchasing 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, Founder and Handling Partner of Iliad Partners, stated: "I believe we are very fortunate to onboard the 3 largest banks of Greece as LPs [Limited Partners] for financial investment in the region.

"International development funds are being available in, which shows clear indications of maturity of the community The capability of the UAE and regional governments to bring in skill; their innovation-first approach, abundance of capital here as well as inflow worldwide are the essential structure blocks."Paula Tavangar, Chief Financial Investment Officer at Injaz Capital stated that within the region, Saudi Arabia is leading the number of handle the highest worths, with 250 "biggest ticket size" deals tape-recorded in 2025 in the nation.