Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
Chief executives in the UAE are among the most confident globally about economic growth, revenue prospects and investment expansion, according to a recent PwC report.
The UAE findings of its 29th Global CEO Survey show that 91% of CEOs in the country are confident about domestic economic growth over the next 12 months – well above the 55% global average, rising from 80% last year.
Nearly eight in 10 executives in the country also expressed confidence in revenue growth over the next three years, while 59% expect growth to improve over the coming year.
UAE companies reported revenue growth of 13% in the current fiscal year, compared with the global average of 8%.
This translated into net profit margins of 14%, outstripping the 10% global average, according to the report.
The survey points to a corporate sector balancing short-term performance pressures with long-term positioning.
Almost half of UAE business leaders said they spend most of their time on activities with a horizon of less than one year, more than double the share of those focused on strategies beyond five years.
AI Adoption Strategies
The report said artificial intelligence has emerged as a central pillar of corporate strategy.
Eighty-five percent of UAE CEOs said their company culture supports AI adoption, while 75% reported having a clear AI roadmap.
Nearly three quarters (72%) said innovation is critical to business strategy, compared with 50% globally.
AI use in commercial operations is already widespread. 45% of CEOs in the UAE reported using AI in demand generation across sales, marketing and customer service, while 45% apply it in support services, and 38% have integrated AI directly into their products and offerings - levels consistently higher than global averages.
More than half of executives said their businesses can attract high-quality AI talent, supported by national initiatives such as workforce upskilling programmes and a rapidly expanding AI labour market.
Dealmaking Opportunities
Dealmaking appetite in the UAE is also rising sharply, with 74% of CEOs expecting to make one or more significant acquisitions over the next three years, up from 63% last year and far above the global figure of 41%.
Nearly three-quarters also said they are planning investments worth more than 10% of company assets, while around 70% have already entered new sectors in the past five years.
This diversification drive is increasingly cross-sector, with 40% of UAE CEOs expecting more than one-fifth of future deal value to come from outside their core industry – well above regional (37%) and global (16%) averages.
