Gartner, a global research and advisory firm, has forecast that MENA IT spending will reach US$169 billion in 2026. This marks an 8.9 percent increase over 2025, reflecting strong momentum across the Middle East and North Africa region.

Mim Burt, Practice Vice President at Gartner, revealed that the MENA region is rapidly emerging as a global technology hub. She noted that GCC countries are leveraging advanced infrastructure and forward-thinking policies to attract global partners and build strong digital capabilities. These efforts are driving innovation and supporting AI-enabled, resilient economies.

Despite global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, CIOs in the MENA region are making strategic investments. These include artificial intelligence, intelligent automation, multi-cloud strategies, cybersecurity, and workforce upskilling.

Gartner reported that spending on data center systems will rise by 37.3 percent in 2026. This makes it the fastest-growing segment in MENA’s IT market. However, growth is expected to slow this year as the region transitions to more sustainable investments.

Eyad Tachwali, Vice President of Advisory at Gartner, said the surge in data center spending will go hand in hand with increased investments by CISOs in AI-powered software and infrastructure. The growth is largely driven by rising demand for generative AI and advanced machine learning.

Tachwali added that most of this demand will come from governments, cloud service providers, technology vendors, and institutions focused on AI model development not from traditional enterprises or consumers.

Gartner further revealed that software spending in the MENA region will grow by 13.9 percent, reaching US$20.4 billion in 2026. This increase is being fueled by the rapid adoption of generative AI capabilities.

According to Gartner, by 2028, 75 percent of global software spending will be on solutions featuring generative AI.

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