June 2026
Issue brief Perspectives from the 2026 CEO Dialogue By Nour Dabboussi, Joze Pelayo, Manal Fatima, David Maloney, and Khalid Azim More than thirty business leaders, academics, analysts from international organizations, and policymakers came together for the CEO Dialogue on the sidelines of the February 2026 World Governments Summit in Dubai. Key topics of discussion included how the most recent trends in technology, sovereign wealth funds, energy and data centers, human capability and artificial intelligence, and supply chains are impacting the marketplace and the investments outlook for the region. Foreword By Majid Jafar When we gathered in Dubai for the CEO Dialogue 2026 in early February on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, the world was already navigating a period of profound transition. Since then, the pace and scale of change have accelerated even further. Geopolitical tensions have intensified, global trade dynamics and energy systems are being reshaped, and long-standing assumptions about globalization, security, and economic integration are increasingly being tested. Against this backdrop, the conversations captured in this issue brief feel even more relevant today than they did at the time of the dialogue. What emerged clearly throughout the discussions was that we are not experiencing a temporary cycle of disruption but a deeper structural transformation in the global economy. Across sectors and regions, leaders are being challenged to rethink resilience and competitiveness in a more fragmented and uncertain world. At the same time, the discussions reinforced a more optimistic conclusion: Periods of disruption also create opportunities for countries, institutions, and businesses that are willing to adapt with agility and invest with discipline. For the Gulf region this moment presents both responsibility and opportunity. Over recent decades, the region has invested heavily in infrastructure, connectivity, institutional development, energy systems, and human capital. Those long-term foundations are becoming increasingly important in an era where speed of execution, pragmatic diplomacy, and the ability to facilitate global flows of capital, trade, and talent are emerging as critical competitive advantages. The themes explored throughout this report reflect many of the defining questions facing business and policy leaders today: the evolving role of sovereign wealth funds as engines of economic transformation; the Gulf’s increasingly interconnected geoeconomic ecosystem and strategic infrastructure; the relationship between AI growth and the future of energy systems; the need to build human capability alongside technological advancement; and the challenge of creating more resilient supply chains in an increasingly volatile environment. A recurring theme throughout the dialogue was that execution credibility will increasingly matter as much as ambition itself. The next phase of global growth will depend not only on vision, but on the ability to mobilize long-term investment, strengthen institutions, develop talent, and deliver practical outcomes at scale.
ATLANTIC COUNCIL
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