PwC 28th Annual CEO Survey: Middle East findings

Qatar’s transformation into a diversified, knowledge-based economy is fuelled by a forward-thinking strategy of digital growth, and a strong focus on sustainability and capitalising on industry convergence. CEOs are confident of revenue growth and expect to increase headcount in 2025. However, the urgency to reinvent their businesses to ensure future viability has increased, emphasising the need to accelerate AI and GenAI integration for innovation, and seek new domains of growth.

As Egypt begins to show signs of economic recovery, supported by reforms and international investments, we see its business leaders driving reinvention through strategic AI adoption, addressing skills shortages and tackling climate challenges. They are also capturing new growth opportunities through industry convergence, positioning themselves ahead of their Middle Eastern counterparts.

Saudi Arabia’s bold economic diversification strategy is yielding tangible results, fuelling confidence among business leaders about the Kingdom’s future. Acutely aware of the twin forces of technological transformation and climate, alongside the blurring of traditional industry boundaries as companies compete over new domains of growth, CEOs are reinventing their business models to drive innovation and sustainable growth.

Jordan’s CEOs have a cautious outlook on economic growth, with over half expecting their companies to be ‘highly’ or ‘extremely’ exposed to geopolitical risks in the coming year. Despite this, they are prioritising reinvention, viewing AI and GenAI as key drivers for growth. By leveraging data-driven insights and diversifying into new sectors, they aim to reinvent their businesses and secure long-term success amidst regional uncertainties.

Confident about economic growth and revenue prospects for the coming year, CEOs in the UAE are actively pursuing reinvention strategies, by accelerating AI adoption and making climate-friendly investments. Despite challenges like cyber risk and key skill shortages, they want to radically transform how they create, deliver and capture value, and position their business for long-term success

CEOs in the Middle East are among the most confident globally about revenue growth in the year ahead. Yet, they remain acutely aware of the huge wave of disruptive change, primarily driven by AI, climate challenges and an intensifying competition over new domains of growth as industry lines blur. Our region’s CEOs are striking a difficult balance - capturing the significant market opportunities today while also reinventing their businesses for tomorrow.