Leadership: The Journey Continues

Becoming a leader is not a conclusion, it is the beginning of a journey and the Middle East's business elite is putting its best foot forward.

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Steve Jobs once said that 'leadership is about inspiring people to do things they never thought they could.' If there is one part of the world that owns that message, it's the Middle East; a region that has compressed decades of advancement into a handful of years. A region that pushes the boundaries of possibility and pursues national visions based not on what is, but what could be.

Across the Middle East, the architects of nations might lead from the top, but they share qualities with the region's business elite: innovation, determination, entrepreneurial spirit, the courage to dream big. Whether for the CEO of an industry giant in the GCC or an aspiring startup founder in Egypt, the examples set by national leaders have created a collective belief that with the right strategy and tools in place, nothing is impossible.

An air of optimism

It is no surprise, then, that there's something a little different about business leaders in the Middle East. As founders and executives worldwide navigate persistent geopolitical, economic, and technological volatility, the region is home to a striking sense of optimism.

PwC's 28th Annual CEO Survey shows that roughly 90% of regional CEOs expect revenue growth over the next 12 months while KPMG's Middle East CEO Outlook 2025 reveals that many Gulf executives plan to expand headcount and accelerate the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). In Saudi Arabia alone, KPMG reports that 88% of CEOs in the Kingdom are optimistic about their companies' growth prospects over the next three years, compared to a global average of 79%, driven by investment in technology, digital infrastructure, and workforce transformation.

It is this combination of technology deployment and growth expectations that defines the central leadership imperative in 2025: convert optimism into durable competitiveness by aligning people, technology, and purpose.