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UAE CEOs are bullish on growth: Some 96% of UAE-based CEOs are feeling confident about their industry’s growth, well above the 79% average in the Middle East and 72% global average, according to KPMG’s UAE CEO Outlook 2024 report — indicating that UAE-based CEOs are among the most confident in the region. Some 72% are confident about their own company’s growth.
Methodology: The report surveyed 1,325 CEOs worldwide, including 25 from the UAE and 75 from the broader Middle East, on four major themes: economic outlook, ESG, talent, and technology.
AI and ESG are favorites for investment: Over half (52%) of Emirati CEOs said they consider generative AI as a top investment priority, while a slightly higher headcount (56%) is expecting “significant” returns on ESG investments within the next three to five years.
All Emirati CEOs plan to recruit more hires in the next three years, focusing on Emiratization, according to the press release accompanying the report. This comes on the back of 76% of CEOs saying they do not expect AI to reduce jobs in their organizations over the next three years, with 88% expecting traditional office roles to continue during the same period.
CEOs are also hungry for M&As, with 48% showing a high appetite for mergers and acquisitions, compared to only 28% in the Middle East.
Also worth noting: Some 20% of CEOs cite complexity in decarbonizing their supply chains as a barrier to ticking off net zero goals. Meanwhile, 52% said they plan to roll out both centralized and devolved strategies to address geopolitical challenges.
