We're back at MWC Doha this November! From 8–10 November, Strategy& Middle East will be at MWC Doha, bringing together our expertise and perspectives on AI, digital transformation and the technologies shaping the region's future. This year, we're excited to be Platinum Sponsors of the AI in Action Summit, where we'll share insights on scaling AI, moving beyond experimentation and translating innovation into measurable business impact. We look forward to connecting with industry leaders, clients and innovators throughout the event. Join us at Booth A35! #MWCDoha

AI could give policymakers an earlier read on how the public may respond to new policies. Our latest Ideation Center research finds that synthetic personas can provide useful early signals of public sentiment, with directional agreement exceeding 90% across most AI model configurations tested. But they do not capture the full diversity of human opinion. Learn more in the full viewpoint: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/id… By Dima Sayess, Dr. Fatima Koaik, Dr. Robin Schnider, Pujen Shrestha, George Philippe Farajalla and Dr. Dario Krpan #SyntheticPolicymaking

Wellness is becoming part of who people are. As it gets more personal, brands need to earn trust and prove they belong. In our latest research, we explore how brands can build credibility, earn relevance, and turn consumer interest into ongoing engagement. Watch the video for the key takeaways, and explore the full report: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #WinningInWellness

How far could sport take your country's economy? Beyond participation and major events, sport can attract investment, create jobs, drive tourism, and strengthen global competitiveness. Yet understanding where this value comes from, and how it can be expanded, remains a challenge. With our new Sports Economy Index, explore where your country stands, identify opportunities for growth, and simulate how strategic investments could shape future outcomes. Explore your country's potential. Unlock future growth. Discover the Sports Economy Index. strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/id… #SportsEconomy

Is AI transformation really about technology, or do we need to rethink how we approach it? At @AiEverythingAD , we caught up with Achilles Drettas and Jawad Issa, Principal for two Live at Ai Everything conversations exploring what it takes to make AI transformation meaningful. Achilles discusses what it means to build an AI-native organization, why transformation requires rethinking business processes rather than simply automating them, and the importance of critical thinking and leadership in an AI-driven world. Jawad explores how AI strategies can support national priorities, why they need to go beyond individual use cases, and the importance of keeping people and outcomes at the center of transformation. Two conversations, two perspectives, and one shared message: meaningful AI transformation goes far beyond adopting technology. Tune in to both episodes! Live at Ai Everything #StrategyandTalks #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #GCC #DigitalTransformation #AIEverything

Where do MENA youth want Arabic to advance? 50% point to technology and AI platforms as an area needing greater investment. Another 42% point to schools and universities. As part of our partnership with Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries managed by @AbuDhabiALA, and in collaboration with @IpsosMENA, we explore what young people want from Arabic as they learn, create and work. 🔗Explore the findings: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #ArabicForOpportunity

We’re heading to @AiEverythingAD, joining leaders and innovators shaping the next chapter of AI. Our experts will be on the ground and contributing to conversations across the programme, sharing perspectives on the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of AI. We look forward to connecting with clients, partners and the wider AI community in Abu Dhabi. See you at AI Everything, 6–7 October. #AIEverything

Travel has become easier to book, but harder to piece together. Could the Gulf’s next tourism advantage come from connecting what already exists? Our latest perspective explores how a visitor operating system could bring travel services into one more seamless journey, creating greater value for visitors, partners and destinations. @DKaram819, @JadBaroudi and @BasaranOrkun share what this could mean for the future of Gulf tourism: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/di… #ConnectedGulfTourism

Disruption has reshaped trade routes across the GCC. The focus now is on turning the strongest emergency corridors into commercially sustainable trade links. Our perspective on building long-term GCC trade resilience is featured in @Logistics__ME: logisticsmiddleeast.com/supp… #GCCTradeResilience

Is Arabic keeping pace with the ambitions of MENA’s young people? 91% of surveyed youth use Arabic at home. That falls to 64% at work, university or school, and 60% when learning online. As part of our partnership with Congress of Arabic & Creative Industries managed by @AbuDhabiALC, and in collaboration with @IpsosMENA, how Arabic can become more relevant to how young people learn, create and work. Read more and share your perspective: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #ArabicForOpportunity

Data volume is a poor measure of urban intelligence. Decision utility is a much better one. A cognitive city needs to know which decisions matter, which data those decisions depend on and how that data can be continuously converted into trusted, reusable products. The shift is subtle but important: from managing urban data as an asset to producing it as an operational capability for decision-making. 🔗 See how cities can turn trusted data into better decisions: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #CognitiveCities

AI leadership does not require owning every layer of the value chain. Our latest report explores how GCC countries can build pragmatic AI sovereignty by securing access where it matters, asserting control where it is critical, and building leadership where value can be captured. 🔗Read the full report: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #PragmaticAISovereignty

The most powerful stories are often the most personal. For Strategy& alum and family business leader Abdulla Abunayyan, a recent "Unscripted" conversation became a heartfelt reflection on the Kingdom: on the opportunities it creates, the sense of responsibility it inspires, and the values passed from one generation to the next. Kindness. Humility. Respect. And, above all, being human. Happy 96th Saudi National Day. للوطن مكانٌ في كل تجربة، وأثرٌ في كل ما نحمله من قيم. استضفنا في بودكاست "Unscripted" عبدالله أبونيان، زميل سابق في شركة استراتيجي أند وأحد قادة الأعمال في المملكة، ضمن حلقة تخللها حوارٌ مؤثرٌ عن الوطن، والفرص التي يزخر بها، وحسّ المسؤولية الذي يلهمه، والقيم التي يزرعها في أجيال الحاضر والمستقبل من الطيبة والتواضع والاحترام إلى قيم الإنسانية الأسمى. نبارك للمملكة قيادةً وشعبًا يومها الوطني الـ96، ونشارككم هذا اللقاء المميّز. 🎧 Watch the full Unscripted episode: youtube.com/watch?app=deskto… #SaudiNationalDay

تتقدم شركة إستراتيجي أند بخالص التعازي وصادق المواساة إلى صاحب السمو الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم، وأسرة آل مكتوم الكرام، وشعب دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة، في وفاة المغفور له بإذن الله الشيخ أحمد بن راشد آل مكتوم. Our deepest condolences go to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Al Maktoum family, and the people of the United Arab Emirates on the passing of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Closing out @LEAPandInnovate 2026 with plenty to take forward. This year’s conversations went beyond what technology can do, focusing increasingly on the strategic choices needed to translate ambition into lasting impact. This thinking shaped our presence this year. We shared new perspectives on pragmatic AI sovereignty and cognitive cities, while contributing to conversations on AI, esports, mobility, media and other rapidly evolving sectors. We also took the discussion beyond the stage with our Live at LEAP podcast series, capturing perspectives from leaders and experts during the event. Revisit the thinking, conversations and highlights that shaped our presence at LEAP 2026 on our website: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/le… #LEAP2026 #LiveatLEAP #StrategyandTalks

Building AI capabilities is one challenge. Keeping them running when access is disrupted is another. 🔗 This report explores how GCC countries can strengthen AI resilience through measures such as infrastructure hardening, in-country failover, multi-cloud strategies, and fallback models, while maintaining continuity across the AI value chain: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #PragmaticAISovereignty

More urban intelligence does not automatically create a more intelligent city. A city can see congestion forming, model its impact and predict what happens next. The real test is whether it can turn those signals into a trusted decision and coordinate action across institutions. That is where cognitive cities differ. Our latest report argues for a shift from accumulating urban data to industrializing the production of decision-grade intelligence: identifying the decisions that matter, producing the data products they require and continuously improving them through use. 🔗 Read the report to explore how cities can turn trusted data into better decisions: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #CognitiveCities

The GCC has shown it can reroute supply chains under pressure. The next challenge is making the right routes last. Our analysis suggests that improved backhaul on Saudi-linked corridors could reduce inland transport costs by 15–30% and overall corridor costs by about 5–10%. Maha Raad and Hamza El Mounhi explore how the region can turn emergency routes into commercially sustainable trade corridors that support long-term resilience. Read the full perspective here👇 strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #GCCTradeResilience

AI dependence can quickly become economic exposure. As access to chips, cloud, models, and talent becomes more contested, resilience across the value chain becomes a strategic priority. Our report looks at how GCC countries can reduce that exposure without having to build out every layer of the AI value chain themselves. Explore the approach in our report: strategyand.pwc.com/m1/en/in… #PragmaticAISovereignty