World Economic Forum's Top 10 Emerging Technologies Report 2026, developed alongside the Dubai Future Foundation, has identified 10 technologies that it says are likely to achieve significant real-world impact within the next three to five years.

Organizations creating the most value from AI are not necessarily those deploying the most technology. Instead, they are redesigning workflows, modernizing operating models and preparing employees for new ways of working.

The tech giant invested nearly $59.2bn in 2025.

Visa's latest Stay Secure study also highlighted the rapid rise of social commerce, with 69% of UAE consumers reporting purchases made directly through social media platforms.

The region is a mosaic of digital ambitions where distinct national strategies are unfolding simultaneously. While the UAE accelerates its push to become a global hub for AI-driven finance and services, Saudi Arabia is executing a vision of entirely new cognitive cities built from the ground up.

The finding place Qatar among the top ten countries globally for practical AI usage. Qatar's AI market reached approximately $59 million in 2026, nearly double the estimated $31 million recorded in 2022.

Dubai, UAE -- SpaceX has signed a multi-year cloud services agreement with Alphabet's Google, securing a major customer for its artificial intelligence computing business ahead of the company's expected U.S. stock market debut next week. Under the deal, Google will pay SpaceX $920 million per month from October 2026 through...

Abu Dhabi, UAE -- Abu Dhabi-based technology group G42 and Spanish banking giant Santander have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore strategic cooperation in artificial intelligence, the companies said on Wednesday. The agreement establishes a framework for evaluating and developing joint AI initiatives, including AI-enabled advisory and savings solutions...

The measure establishes a new cybersecurity clearinghouse involving federal agencies and industry partners, reflecting growing concerns about advanced AI systems' potential to expose critical software vulnerabilities.

Governance, accountability and validation processes emerge as critical requirements for translating growing AI investment into measurable operational and security outcomes, according to the KPMG report.

A new Dataiku study shows UAE CEOs increasingly view AI performance, governance and accountability as defining measures of leadership success.

The AI and Cyber: Empowering Defenders report, developed in collaboration with KPMG, highlights measurable gains in cost reduction, response speed and resilience.

The report, published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and analytics firm SAS, highlights widening gaps between rapidly evolving fraud tactics and corporate defenses, as criminals increasingly exploit accessible artificial intelligence tools.

Cultural nuance matters deeply in MENA. Communication styles differ across the Gulf, the Levant, and North Africa. Comfort with camera-based interviews varies by age, gender, and socioeconomic background.

Futuristic, lifestyle-changing entrepreneurial ideas are targeting liquid GCC markets, where hyperscalers and deep-pocketed sovereign and private investors and family offices fuel growth ambitions.

S4 Capital founder Martin Sorrell tells TRENDS digital dominance, AI disruption and consolidation are reshaping global advertising, urging agile, tech-first players to implement change decisively.

Despite fierce branding as rivals, Gulf startup hubs share capital, policy, and talent structures that are quietly shaping distinct, globally ambitious growth paths.

Becoming AI-native starts with a shift in mindset. To harness its full potential, we need to see AI not as a product but as a partner. It’s less about which model you’re using and more about how you use it, writes Cloke, CTO Endava.

The GCC has quickly moved from passive capital allocation into active ecosystem building, spurred on by heavy sovereign capital and large infrastructure bets, setting the region apart from Europe and US markets. 

Over the next five years, knowledge and innovation will redefine the MENA region’s economic landscape, moving it beyond traditional resource dependence, says Mark Mortensen, Associate Dean and Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD.

Despite ongoing disagreements over economic and geopolitical shifts, there remains a strong commitment to collaboration, says Andrew Moose, Head of Innovation & Health Systems Transformation, at WEF.

Qadi, the Middle East’s first sovereign regulatory compliance platform, has partnered with Core42, a G42 company, to power its artificial intelligence infrastructure as it scales operations following a pre-seed funding round. The partnership will see Qadi run its workloads on Core42’s Sovereign Public Cloud, built on Microsoft Azure, ensuring full...

As AI reshapes boardrooms worldwide, Cozmo AI CTO Nuha Hashem explains how responsible, accountable systems—powered by MENA talent—can drive sustainable global growth.

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia's Humain artificial intelligence company has secured up to $1.2 billion in financing to expand digital infrastructure, a statement said, as the kingdom bolsters its investment in AI. The non-binding framework agreement with Saudi Arabia's National Infrastructure Fund outlines the development of up to 250...

Joseph Bradley, former CEO of Tonomus, shares with TRENDS his views on how AI and leadership can help MENA build smarter, future-ready economies.

Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of Stagwell, explains how AI and global tech partnerships are reshaping marketing and the GCC’s knowledge economy.

In the MENA region, we see an extraordinary opportunity to shape a digitally empowered workforce aligned with national transformation agendas, says Sahil Dhawan, president and head of Tech Mahindra for India, Middle East & Africa.

The post-oil Gulf has the chance to redefine authenticity itself—as a deliberately trained, global hospitality culture built by people, not pipelines.

For governments and corporates across the Gulf, the immediate task is pragmatic: marry sovereign ambition with sustainable skills programs and robust governance frameworks.

Gerd Leonhard, CEO of the Futures Agency and author of Technology vs. Humanity, tells TRENDS that humanity is hurtling toward a clash between man and machine.

CAMB.AI founder Avneesh Prakash explains how on-device, real-time AI translation—powered by its MARS and BOLI models—is poised to dismantle language barriers and disrupt global content distribution.

AI fluency is not prioritized enough in schools today. If AI skills are not on your resume, you will have a very difficult time finding a job in the future, says Klaus Kohlmayr, Chief Evangelist and Development Officer at IDeaS.

When businesses increasingly rely on AI to make decisions, a manipulated dataset can cause more harm than a ransomware attack, says Gerald Beuchelt, Chief Information Security Officer at Acronis.

Activate Consulting CEO Michael Wolf tells TRENDS how AI, media and shifting consumer behaviour are driving the next knowledge economy.

Las Vegas, United States -- Toy makers at the Consumer Electronics Show were adamant about being careful to ensure that their fun creations infused with generative artificial intelligence don't turn naughty. That need was made clear by a recent Public Interest Research Groups report with alarming findings, including an AI-powered...

Tokyo, Japan -- Japanese tech investor SoftBank said Wednesday that its stake in OpenAI is now around 11 percent after completing the second stage of a $41-billion investment in the maker of ChatGPT. Having made colossal profits as well as losses on previous investments, flamboyant founder Masayoshi Son has pivoted...

Taipei, Taiwan -- Taiwanese tech titan TSMC has started mass producing its cutting-edge 2-nanometre semiconductor chips, the company said in a statement seen by AFP on Wednesday. TSMC is the world's largest contract maker of chips, used in everything from smartphones to missiles, and counts Nvidia and Apple among its...

Singapore, Singapore -- Facebook owner Meta has agreed to acquire Manus, an artificial intelligence agent created by a company founded in China but now based in Singapore, the two firms said. However, analysts warned the deal could fall foul of regulators at a time of fierce technological rivalry between Washington...

San Francisco, United States -- Nvidia has hired the leadership of a promising AI chip startup, a statement said Wednesday, as the artificial intelligence giant expands its tech empire. Chip maker Groq said the departure of its top executives was part of a non-exclusive licensing agreement with Nvidia for its...

New Delhi, India -- The World Health Organization opens a major conference on traditional medicine on Wednesday, arguing that new technologies, including artificial intelligence, can bring scientific scrutiny to centuries-old healing practices. The meeting in New Delhi will examine how governments can regulate traditional medicine while using emerging scientific tools...

Yancheng, China -- In a light-filled workshop in eastern China, a robotic arm moved a partially assembled autonomous vehicle as workers calibrated its cameras, typical of the incremental automation being adopted even across smaller factories in the world's manufacturing powerhouse. China is already the world's largest market for industrial robots, and...

The United States signed an agreement on the supply chains with key Asia-Pacific allies concerned about China's growing clout -- Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Australia -- as well as Israel.

Paris, France -- Artificial intelligence tools can now help choose the most promising embryos for in vitro fertilisation (IVF), although experts have warned of some ethical concerns. Procedures such as IVF allow millions of children to be born across the world each year to parents who have otherwise struggled to...

Ashburn, United States -- As planes make their final approach to Washington DC's Dulles Airport, just below lies Ashburn, a town otherwise known as Data Center Alley -- where an estimated 70 percent of all global internet traffic at any moment finds its way. Decades ago, the expanse of empty...

Washington, United States -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has declared a company-wide "code red" as its ChatGPT technology faces stiff competition from other big tech rivals, especially Google, US media reported. In a memo to staff on Monday, Altman told employees that the company was "at a critical time for...

San Francisco, United States -- Amazon Web Services launched its in-house-built Trainium3 AI chip on Tuesday, marking a significant push to compete with Nvidia in the lucrative market for artificial intelligence computing power. The move intensifies competition in the AI chip market, where Nvidia currently dominates with an estimated 80-...

Dubai, United Arab Emirates -- A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world's "first AI chef", the latest ostentatious dive into new technology in a city obsessed with being on the cutting edge of the future. The Emirati city has become increasingly known for its growing...

Singapore, Singapore -- A plushy, AI-enabled teddy bear recalled after its chatbot was found to engage in sexually explicit conversations and offer instructions on where to find knives is again for sale, AFP found. Singapore-based FoloToy had suspended its "Kumma" bear after a consumer advocacy group raised concerns about it...

Frankfurt, Germany -- German insurance giant Allianz signalled Wednesday looming job cuts due to its adoption of artificial intelligence, with a report saying up to 1,800 roles, mainly in call centres, could be axed. Allianz Partners, the company's subsidiary dealing principally with travel insurance, said it was "leveraging AI" to...

New York, United States - "The 1980s are calling," a teenager with a throwback hairstyle tells viewers as "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," the Tears for Fears rock anthem from that decade, plays in the background. The fake montage -- entirely generated using artificial intelligence -- has racked up...