The UAE has the highest level of organisational AI adoption in the Arab region at 75%, ahead of Saudi Arabia at 70% and Qatar at 65%, according to a new report by the Dubai Press Club (DPC) and Deloitte Middle East.
The report, Arab Media in the Age of AI, was launched during the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, which is being held from September 15 to 17. It examines how artificial intelligence is changing the media industry across the Middle East and North Africa, including content creation, distribution and monetisation.
The UAE is also particularly advanced in the use of synthetic-media applications, the report said, highlighting the country’s shift from individual AI use cases towards broader adoption across media organisations.
The report covers 10 markets: the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt and Morocco. It examines the impact of traditional, generative, agentic and synthetic AI across four media segments — video, audio, gaming, and strategic communications and public relations.
Saudi Arabia and Qatar have also recorded significant AI activity, particularly in translation, newsroom and workflow applications. Organisational adoption stands at 40% in Egypt and 35% in Lebanon, where AI use is more concentrated in content creation and newsroom-related tasks.
$520 million in AI spending
AI-in-media spending across the Middle East and North Africa is estimated at $520 million in 2026, according to the report.
Spending in the region is expected to grow around three percentage points faster than the global average through 2030, putting MENA among the world’s fastest-growing AI markets.
Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar together account for 51% of regional AI-in-media spending in 2026. The report also points to faster growth in Egypt and Morocco, suggesting that AI adoption is expanding beyond the Gulf.
Software makes up 62% of AI-in-media expenditure, while services account for the remaining 38%. Within software spending, content generation and distribution account for almost 60%, reflecting the focus on using AI to produce content more efficiently and improve its distribution.
AI changes media operations
The report finds that AI is being used to streamline video and audio production, personalise content, create adaptive gaming experiences and help communications teams identify emerging narratives and respond more quickly.
It also identifies new opportunities for media companies in areas including advertising, subscriptions, licensing and digital commerce.
Dubai Press Club President Mona Ghanem Al Marri said the transformation makes it important for decision-makers to understand how the media industry is changing.
“While AI offers significant opportunities, its long-term value will depend on how we strengthen talent, trust and cultural relevance,” Al Marri said.
Deloitte Middle East Senior Partner and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Leader Emmanuel Durou said AI was moving beyond individual use cases towards a broader transformation of media organisations.
“As AI becomes more accessible, the advantage will come from how organisations apply it: where they automate, where they augment, and where human creativity, judgement and authenticity remain essential,” he said.
The report also calls for stronger AI skills, redesigned entry-level career pathways and greater emphasis on verification, transparency and intellectual property rights as routine media tasks become increasingly automated.
