Middle East organisations outpace global peers on AI production rollouts, with data streaming emerging as the infrastructure priority to sustain momentum
The UAE and Saudi Arabia are among the global leaders in deploying agentic AI solutions, with 38% of organisations in both markets already running agentic AI in production. This figure sits among the highest recorded globally, according to Confluent’s 2026 Data Streaming Report. The findings position the Gulf as a frontrunner in translating AI ambition into operational reality.
The report, which surveyed 4,625 IT leaders worldwide, also finds that Gulf organisations have identified clearly what is needed to sustain this momentum. In both the UAE and KSA, 95% of IT leaders believe data streaming platforms can accelerate AI adoption, and 95% expect data streaming to increase the impact of their AI investments. This reflects a region that is not just deploying AI, but thinking strategically about the infrastructure required to scale it.
Clarity on the road ahead
That strategic clarity is also evident in how Gulf IT leaders are prioritising investment. In both UAE and KSA, the vast majority of respondents rank data streaming as a strategic business priority, even placing it ahead of AI and machine learning technologies (90% in UAE, 88% in KSA). This signals a mature understanding that the value of AI depends on the quality and speed of the data that feeds it, and the actions needed to address this.
Gulf organisations are clear-eyed about the challenges that remain. Nearly three in four IT leaders in both markets report facing at least three major AI adoption challenges which is consistent with global peers. The three most commonly cited barriers include insufficient infrastructure for real-time data processing, uncertainty around data lineage, timeliness and quality, and insufficient AI and data skills and expertise. Just over 66% in both markets also identify data infrastructure and quality as specific challenges for agentic AI deployment. Rather than signals of stalled progress, these findings reflect the priorities of organisations that are already in production and managing the realities of scaling.
Data streaming as the infrastructure of choice
The research suggests Gulf organisations see data streaming as the mechanism to close these remaining gaps. Nearly all (95%) of UAE and KSA respondents believe data streaming platforms help unblock agentic AI progress by making data more trustworthy, contextualised and discoverable.
Commenting on these findings, Karim Azar, AVP & GM at Confluent Middle East, said, “What the UAE and Saudi Arabia data tells us is genuinely encouraging. These are markets that have moved decisively from AI experimentation into deployment, and their IT leaders have a clear view of what comes next. The focus on data streaming as a strategic priority reflects an understanding that sustaining AI performance at scale requires the right data infrastructure underneath it. Backed by the commendable government investment and vision, I see the Middle East as well positioned to lead that next phase.”
The findings echo a broader global pattern identified in the research. “Most organisations do not have an AI investment problem, they have a data problem. AI systems depend on fresh, accurate and contextual information, but too many are still being built on fragmented data, batch processes, and infrastructure that was not designed for continuous intelligence,” said Shaun Clowes, Chief Product Officer at Confluent.
Download the full 2026 Data Streaming Report here.
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