Regional organisations are reporting stronger productivity, innovation and decision-making outcomes from AI than their global counterparts.
Dubai, UAE – Autodesk has released regional findings from its 2026 State of Design & Make: AI Pulse report, showing that Middle East organisations are leading global markets in converting artificial intelligence investment into measurable business outcomes.
The research found that 87% of organisations across the region feel an urgent need to adopt AI, the highest level recorded globally and above the worldwide average of 68%. Meanwhile, 92% reported productivity gains from AI deployment, compared with 84% globally.
Middle East organisations also reported stronger innovation and decision-making outcomes. Around 90% said AI was positively influencing innovation, compared with the global average of 77%, while 78% recorded improvements in decision-making, against 65% worldwide.
The findings indicate that organisations across architecture, engineering, construction, operations, design, manufacturing, and media and entertainment are embedding AI into core business processes.
Adoption is moving beyond experimentation towards wider operational use and measurable value.
Use of AI assistants and chatbots increased from 46% to 56% year-on-year, while adoption of AI-enabled design programmes reached 57%. AI use within project management platforms also rose from 41% to 49%, reflecting broader integration across project delivery and business operations.
This growth supports regional transformation programmes including Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UAE National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, alongside investment in smart infrastructure, industrial digitisation and next-generation urban development across the GCC.
AI investment accelerates
Productivity, resilience and delivery performance are emerging as key drivers of AI investment, particularly among organisations managing large infrastructure pipelines and increasingly complex project environments.
Nearly half of respondents, or 49%, said their organisation had significantly or substantially increased AI investment during the past year, exceeding the global average of 40%. Generative AI, process automation and decision-support systems were among the leading investment priorities for the next 12 months.
Interest in agentic AI is also increasing. More than half of respondents, or 56%, expect to use the technology within the next year, while 18% said their organisations are already deploying it.
Regional organisations also expressed confidence in the foundations needed to scale AI. Around 91% of respondents said their data was well structured, while 90% considered it secure, placing the Middle East ahead of global averages in both areas.
Skills and integration remain barriers
Despite the momentum, organisations continue to face implementation and scalability challenges. Respondents identified shortages of talent and skills at 59%, implementation costs at 55%, and integration with existing systems at 54% as the leading barriers.
Concerns surrounding AI are also shifting towards enterprise risks such as security, accuracy and governance. Security concerns reached 54%, while concerns about AI accuracy increased from 33% to 48% year-on-year. Worries related to job displacement declined during the same period.
The report also found that 85% of Middle East respondents were considering entering new markets, compared with the global average of 73%. The finding suggests regional organisations increasingly regard technology investment as an enabler of long-term competitiveness, resilience and operational agility.
“The Middle East is moving faster than most markets from AI ambition to AI impact. But the real test is not how quickly organisations adopt AI. It is whether they can use it to deliver better projects, better decisions, and better-performing assets,” said Naji Atallah, Head of Construction and Manufacturing, EMEA Emerging at Autodesk. “AI will only create value if it is built on trusted data, connected workflows, and the discipline to reduce rework across the full project lifecycle. That is where construction and manufacturing leaders have an opportunity to turn investment into real delivery advantage.”
The 2026 State of Design & Make: AI Pulse report was compiled from research conducted by Autodesk and Statista Plus Research between January and February 2026. It includes responses from 2,500 industry leaders and experts worldwide.
The Middle East findings draw on responses from 153 industry professionals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Source: Tahawul Tech