Confident Gulf CEOs Turn to Deals, AI and Asia Partnerships to Lock In Post‑Oil Growth

Top executives across the Middle East enter 2026 with strikingly high confidence in their own growth prospects, even as they grapple with geopolitical risk, climate pressures and disruptive technologies. PwC’s latest Middle East CEO Survey finds that 88 percent of regional CEOs are confident about their company’s revenue growth over the next 12 months, and 72 percent plan at least one major acquisition in the next three years.

This optimism is driven by what leaders see as a once‑in‑a‑generation window to leverage Vision‑style diversification, young demographics and energy‑transition capital to build globally competitive businesses. Yet many also concede that their current models are not “economically viable” beyond a decade if they fail to adapt to AI, automation and decarbonisation.

Banking, energy, logistics and telecoms CEOs are particularly focused on embedding artificial intelligence into core operations, not just front‑end chatbots. Executives in Saudi Arabia and the UAE report ramping up AI investment for credit risk, fraud detection, predictive maintenance and personalised offers, while also worrying about talent shortages and regulatory uncertainty. More than half of surveyed leaders say they plan to upskill at least 20 percent of their workforce in AI‑related skills by 2028, reflecting concerns that the region’s human capital must catch up with its capital spending.

Partnerships with Asia loom large in boardroom strategies. CEOs cite India, China, Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea as priority markets for both exports and joint ventures, particularly in technology, logistics, entertainment and advanced manufacturing. Emirati and Saudi companies have signed new agreements with Japanese and Korean firms in data centres, robotics and mobility, while Gulf airlines expand routes to secondary cities in Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines to capture tourism and trade flows.

At the same time, leaders are rethinking risk management and governance. Geopolitical shocks, supply‑chain disruptions and higher global interest rates have prompted many to revisit debt levels, liquidity buffers and concentration exposures. CEOs in Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, in particular, are acutely aware of external vulnerability and the need to attract “patient capital” that is aligned with reform timelines rather than fast money chasing carry.

PwC’s survey shows executives increasingly willing to exit or restructure legacy lines that no longer fit future portfolios. Around 40 percent say they have completed at least one divestiture in the past three years, with proceeds recycled into digital, renewable and consumer‑facing assets. This mirrors global trends but is accentuated in the Gulf, where governments themselves are listing and selling stakes in national champions via IPOs and private placements.

For many CEOs, leadership in 2026 is less about defending incumbency and more about orchestrating ecosystems—of startups, regulators, universities and foreign partners—that can collectively push through the region’s next phase of growth. Those that cling to old models risk being left behind as capital and talent gravitate to more agile rivals in Dubai, Riyadh, Singapore or Jakarta.