Middle East CEOs lead globally in AI adoption
PwC survey shows 82% of Middle East CEOs enable AI through culture
#MiddleEast #AI - Middle East chief executives are leading globally in adopting artificial intelligence across their businesses, with 82 percent saying their organisation’s culture enables AI adoption, according to PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey. Based on insights from more than 300 CEOs across the Middle East region, the survey found that 70 percent of CEOs now have a clearly defined roadmap for AI initiatives,. Nearly 40 percent have adopted AI for demand generation, customer service and support services, significantly ahead of global benchmarks, whilst more than a third of Middle East and GCC leaders report integrating AI directly into their offerings compared with fewer than one in five globally. The survey shows 88 percent of Middle East CEOs remain confident in economic growth strengthening in their own territories, rising to 93 percent across the GCC.
SO WHAT? - Adoption is strongest in demand generation functions including sales, marketing and customer service, where 39 percent of Middle East CEOs and 43 percent of GCC CEOs report extensive AI use compared with just 22 percent globally, reflecting a pragmatic starting point offering richer data, clearer use cases and faster returns. However, only 29 percent of Middle East CEOs and 16 percent in the GCC agree that their most-used AI tools have access to all relevant documents and data, highlighting a common bottleneck, where data silos, legacy systems and governance constraints still limit AI’s full potential.
Here are some key facts and figures from the CEO survey:
Middle East chief executives lead globally in AI adoption with 82% saying their organisation’s culture enables AI adoption and 70% having a clearly defined roadmap for AI initiatives, according to PwC’s 29th Global CEO Survey based on insights from more than 300 CEOs. 85% of UAE respondents said their culture enables AI adoption, slightly higher than the rest of the region.
Nearly 40% of Middle East CEOs have adopted AI for demand generation, customer service and support services, significantly ahead of global benchmarks, whilst more than a third of Middle East and GCC leaders report integrating AI directly into their offerings compared with fewer than one in five globally.
Adoption is strongest in demand generation functions including sales, marketing and customer service, where 39% of Middle East CEOs and 43% of GCC CEOs report extensive AI use compared with just 22% globally, reflecting natural entry points for AI deployment.
A notable 80% of Middle East business leaders say their technology environment supports AI integration, both well above global benchmarks, pointing to leadership alignment, cultural openness to change and modernised IT environments less constrained by legacy systems.
Around 59% of Middle East CEOs report having formalised responsible AI and risk processes slightly above the global average, suggesting the region is moving beyond experimentation towards institutionalising AI through planning, governance and oversight.
Only 29% of Middle East CEOs and 16% in the GCC agree that their most-used AI tools have access to all relevant documents and data, lower than the 22% global figure, highlighting data silos, legacy systems and governance constraints limiting AI’s full potential.
Confidence in attracting high-quality AI talent is greater in the Middle East with 59% of regional CEOs indicating they have access to high-quality technical talent, shaping workforce growth in an AI-driven economy as national strategies drive sustained demand for AI capabilities.
The GCC ranks among the top global investment destinations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE among the top 10, whilst 88% of Middle East CEOs plan to invest outside their domestic territories with almost three-quarters of these investments staying within the Middle East.
Middle East businesses reported 12% average revenue growth in the current fiscal year compared with 8% globally alongside stronger profit margins, whilst 79% of Middle East CEOs plan a major acquisition in the next three years with focus on capabilities and entering new sectors.
SAUDI ARABIA V. UAE - PwC released new data on January 28th highlighting some differences between Saudi Arabia and UAE findings. Here are two of those data points compared.
ZOOM OUT - The latest findings build on PwC's 28th Annual CEO Survey released in January 2025, which showed 93 percent of GCC CEOs predicted AI would be integrated into technology platforms within three years compared to 78 percent globally. Last year's survey revealed that 88 percent of GCC CEOs had already adopted generative AI and 70 percen expected GenAI to increase profitability within 12 months. Over half of them attributed revenue growth to GenAI far exceeding the global figure of 32 percent. The latest 2026 survey demonstrates regional CEOs are making good on the prediction of increased AI integration, with nearly 40 percent now having extensively deployed AI across demand generation and support functions.
LINK
DOWNLOAD
Updated 30-Jan-26 to include findings specific to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Read about last year’s PwC CEO Survey:
GCC CEOs see AI as key to growth - survey (Middle Est AI News)
The 82% culture-enabled adoption rate is remarkable, but the data access gap (only 29% with full integration) reveals the real adoption barrier: mindset shifts without infrastructure readiness. How are Middle East leaders addressing this infrastructure-culture alignment to move beyond early-stage experiments?
Brilliant insight: culture IS the adoption lever. But I'd add a layer—82% of leaders say culture enables AI, yet most haven't surfaced what AI means for role identity. When a demand-generation person adopts AI, they're not just using a tool; they're asking "what's my new value?" The organizations ahead aren't just culturally open to change—they're helping people navigate identity shifts first. That's where the real friction lives.