The IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) has unveiled Five Trends for 2026, a new report identifying the forces that will redefine competitive advantage for organisations in the UAE and around the world in the year ahead. As 2026 begins, the research shows that uncertainty isn’t slowing business down – it’s accelerating transformation.
To thrive, companies are doubling down on technologies that provide speed, resilience, and insight. AI has shifted from experimental to essential, redefining decisions, roles, and customer expectations at an unprecedented pace. Enterprises are moving towards operating with AI at the core, and soon, quantum will help tackle their most complex problems.
“The findings point to a fundamental shift in how organisations are approaching growth and competitiveness in 2026,” said Shukri Eid, General Manager, IBM Gulf Levant and Pakistan. “In the UAE, leaders are accelerating decision-making, embedding AI at the core of their operations, and strengthening resilience and sovereignty across their technology environments. At the same time, there is a clear focus on building trust – with employees, customers, and partners – as AI becomes more deeply integrated into everyday business. Together, these priorities are shaping organisations that are better prepared to adapt, collaborate across ecosystems, and take advantage of emerging technologies such as quantum.”
Fast decisions turn disruption into opportunity
Of the executives surveyed in the UAE, 95% say they increasingly need to make fast decisions, and all believe the highest-stakes decisions they made in 2025 were the right ones – that’s 4% above the global average. Uncertainty can become the greatest business asset for those who embrace it, with 63% of the respondents saying economic and geopolitical volatility will create new business opportunities for their organisations in 2026. The report notes that 93% of UAE executives fear they’ll lose their edge if they can’t operate in real time.
Employees are ready to embrace AI-driven role changes
The research shows that employees no longer fear AI – they want to embrace it, even if that means their roles will change significantly. Globally, 81% are confident they can keep up with new technologies, and 61% think AI makes their job less mundane and more strategic. Across all generational groups – from digital natives to seasoned veterans – at least twice as many employees would welcome rather than resist greater use of AI by their employers in 2026. In addition, 63% would work with an AI agent.
Consumers are excited about AI, but transparency is mandatory
While consumers don’t need AI to be flawless, they do need to be in the loop. Easy-to-understand explanations of how AI is using their data are what make consumers most comfortable engaging with it. Among the consumers surveyed worldwide, 89% want to know when they’re interacting with AI, and four in five say they would trust a brand less if it intentionally concealed AI use. Two-thirds would switch brands – and half would even pay more – to avoid hidden AI. Meanwhile, 95% of global executives believe consumer trust in their AI will define the success of new products and services.
AI resilience and sovereignty become essential
In the face of growing uncertainty, AI resilience and sovereignty – an organisation’s ability to control and govern its AI systems, data, and infrastructure at all times – have become mission-critical. In the UAE, 98% of executives say AI resilience and sovereignty must be part of their 2026 strategy, and 63% worry about overdependence on compute resources.
Quantum will require deep ecosystem collaboration
Quantum demands resources no single entity can realistically maintain alone – in short, it takes an ecosystem, or several. Quantum-ready organisations (QROs) worldwide are three times more likely to participate in multiple ecosystems than their least ready counterparts. In the UAE, four in five executives (80%) say ecosystem partners help accelerate technology adoption, while 88% believe these partners enable their company to limit the impact of disruption, and an equal number agree that partner data improves business outcomes. The findings indicate that enterprises forging the best ecosystem alliances today are positioning themselves to lead in the quantum era.
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