Gartner, an American research and advisory firm, has forecasted that the IT spending in MENA will total $169 billion in 2026, an increase of 8.9 percent from 2025.
Growth in data center systems
Gartner highlighting on the IT spending in MENA, reported that the growth in data center systems spending in MENA is expected to remain strong in 2026, though the pace will ease compared to 2025.
Spending is projected to increase 37.3 percent in 2026, making it the fastest-growing IT segment, but at a slower rate than this year as the market shifts from rapid build-out to incremental and sustained investment.
“The MENA region is rapidly emerging as a global tech powerhouse, with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) leveraging its stability, infrastructure and forward-looking policies to attract global partners and build digital skills that empower innovation and support resilient AI-driven economies. Even amid global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, chief information officers (CIOs) in MENA are making strategic investments in AI, intelligent automation and multi-cloud strategies, while strengthening cyber defenses and advancing talent upskilling. These efforts are not only driving innovation and economic diversification but also contributing to the region’s projected IT spending growth in 2026.”
AI in IT spending priorities in MENA
Software spending in MENA is expected to grow 13.9 percent to $20.4 billion in 2026, as organizations accelerate the adoption of GenAI capabilities. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of global software spend will be on solutions with GenAI functionality.
“CIOs will increasingly be offered embedded GenAI capabilities in enterprise applications, productivity and developer tools, more advanced large language models as well as AI-optimized servers to support AI-as-a-service. Providers are also exploring new pricing models across software and hardware to drive revenue,” continued Burt.
As AI becomes central to innovation, its integration into software and IT services is fundamentally reshaping spending priorities across the region, with IT services spending in MENA projected to grow 8.3 percent in 2026.
