Today's Edition
SARA ALZAABI (ABU DHABI)
The IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV), a research institute providing business insights and solutions, has recently released a report titled “Five Trends for 2026”, identifying technologies and shifts expected to redefine competitive advantage for businesses globally and in the UAE in the year ahead.
According to the report, uncertainty is no longer slowing organisations down; instead it’s accelerating transformation. It added that companies are doubling down on speed, resilience and data-driven insight.
The five trends identified are: Uncertainty will be your greatest asset – if you embrace it; employees will want more AI – not less; customers will hold your AI accountable; global AI resilience will require a local safety net; and quantum advantage will demand strength in numbers.
The report surveyed 1,028 C-suite executives from large enterprises across 20 industries, along with responses from 8,500 full-time employed consumers worldwide, with varying levels of familiarity with AI.
Uncertainty Will Be Your Greatest Asset – If You Embrace It
As per the report, one of the strongest signals came from decision-making.
In the UAE, 95% of executives said they increasingly need to make fast decisions and all believe the highest-stakes decisions they made in 2025 were the right ones – 4% above the global average.
It also noted that uncertainty can become the greatest business asset for those who embrace it.
Of the respondents, 63% said economic and geopolitical volatility will create new business opportunities for their organisations in 2026. However, 93% feared losing their competitive edge if they cannot operate in real time.
Employees Will Want More AI – Not Less
The report also showed a clear shift in workforce attitudes towards AI.
Globally, 81% of employees were confident they could keep up with new technologies, and 61% said AI makes their work less repetitive and more strategic.
Across all age groups, at least twice as many employees would welcome, rather than resist, greater AI use in 2026, and 63% said they would work directly with an AI agent.
Customers Will Hold Your AI Accountable
Consumers, meanwhile, were optimistic about AI but increasingly demand transparency.
Eighty-nine per cent said they wanted to know when they are interacting with AI, and four in five would trust a brand less if it deliberately concealed AI use, according to the report.
Two-thirds said they would switch brands to avoid hidden AI. Meanwhile, 95% of global executives believed consumer trust in their AI systems will define the success of new products and services.
Global AI Resilience Will Require a Local Safety Net
AI resilience and sovereignty also emerged as critical priorities.
In the UAE, 98% of executives said AI resilience and sovereignty must be part of their 2026 strategy, and 63% worried about overdependence on compute resources.
Quantum Advantage Will Demand Strength in Numbers
According to the report, the next wave of progress will be driven by quantum computing. Globally, quantum-ready organisations are three times more likely to engage with multiple ecosystems.
In the UAE, 80% of executives said ecosystem partners accelerate technology adoption. Furthermore, 88% said these partnerships help limit disruption, and another 88% believed partner data improves business outcomes.
