• The GCC region sets global standards, with its Public Sector achieving the highest AI maturity level across surveyed markets globally, while Tech, Media and Telecom (TMT) rank first within the GCC.

Doha, Qatar – Qatar is demonstrating significant momentum in artificial intelligence advancement within the GCC, recording a remarkable AI maturation shift according to a comprehensive new study by Boston Consulting Group. The report, "Unlocking Potential: How GCC Organizations Can Convert AI Momentum into Value at Scale," reveals that Qatar has achieved a notable 10 percentage-point increase in 'Emerging' AI organizations between 2024 and 2025, positioning the nation firmly within the region’s AI acceleration.

The study, which surveyed 200 C-suite executives and assessed 41 digital and AI capabilities across seven industries, shows Qatar's average AI maturity score of 39 rising rapidly year-over-year, reflecting sustained organizational commitment to AI transformation. This upward trajectory indicates a growing pipeline of organizations transitioning from experimental phases toward comprehensive AI integrations.

"Qatar's rapid AI maturation and investment in advanced AI compute capabilities reflects the nation's strategic approach to technological transformation and economic diversification," said Dr. Ahmad Dhaini, Principal at Boston Consulting Group. "The 10 percentage-point surge in emerging AI organizations demonstrates Qatar's ability to accelerate from experimentation to systematic implementation at scale, creating a robust foundation for sustained AI leadership across multiple sectors."

Across the broader GCC region, the report demonstrates remarkable progress in closing the AI adoption gap with global markets. According to the report, 39% of all GCC organizations now qualify as AI Leaders, compared to the global average of 40%, representing a fundamental transformation in how regional businesses approach artificial intelligence. The GCC region demonstrates exceptional AI leadership, with its Public Sector achieving the highest AI maturity levels globally across all surveyed markets. While TMT continues to lead in AI maturity within the GCC, there is rapid advancement occurring in other critical sectors including Financial Institutions, Health Care, Industrial Goods, and Travel, Cities, and Infrastructure, highlighting the region's broad-based AI transformation.

The financial impact of AI leadership proves substantial, with AI Leaders across the GCC delivering up to 1.7 times higher total shareholder returns and 1.5 times higher EBIT margins compared to AI Laggards. This performance differential underscores the critical importance of moving beyond pilot programs toward scaled implementation. This success is directly linked to higher AI investment levels - AI Leaders are dedicating 6.2% of their IT budgets to AI in 2025 compared to only 4.2% by Laggards. As AI budgets continue to grow, the value generated by AI Leaders is expected to be 3-5x higher by 2028, not only amplifying their competitive advantage but also significantly widening the performance gap between Leaders and Laggards.

GCC AI Leaders: Pursuing AI-First Models and Unlocking Agentic AI Value

While the GCC has demonstrated advanced digital maturity in recent years, AI maturity has surged by 8 points between 2024 and 2025, now trailing overall digital maturity by just 2 points. The study reveals that successful AI Leaders distinguish themselves through five critical strategic moves: pursuing multi-year strategic ambitions with 2.5 times more leadership engagement than laggards, fundamentally reshaping business processes rather than simply deploying off-the-shelf solutions, implementing AI-first operating models with robust governance frameworks, securing and upskilling talent at 1.8 times the rate of competitors, and building fit-for-purpose technology architectures that reduce adoption challenges by 15%.

Looking toward frontier technologies, 38% of GCC organizations are already experimenting with agentic AI, positioning the region competitively against the global average of 46%. The value generated from agentic AI initiatives, currently at 17%, is projected to double to 29% by 2028, driven by continued experimentation and strategic deployment.

Despite this strong momentum, GCC organizations continue to face barriers to AI adoption, with AI Laggards 18% more likely than AI Leaders to encounter people, organization, process challenges stemming from limited cross-functional collaboration on AI, unclear AI value measurement, misalignment with enterprise strategy, or lack of leadership commitment. AI Laggards are also 17% more likely to face challenges in algorithm implementation, especially around limited access to high-quality data, and 10% more likely to encounter technology constraints, such as security risks and RAI implementation, in addition to a general constraint in the availability of local GPUs, further increasing burden on organizations.

"GCC organizations, including in Qatar, have moved beyond experimentation, with many now successfully deploying and scaling AI across core functions,” added Hassen Benothman, Managing Director and ME Leader of BCG Platinion. “The real opportunity ahead is to build on this momentum to successfully reshape processes and invent new value streams with AI. As organizations look to address key organizational challenges and improve their digital platforms, data foundations, and operating models, early experimentation with agentic AI signals positive promise, with the potential to fundamentally reshape how work gets done and value is shaped in the near future.”

The report emphasizes that sustained AI leadership requires continued focus on executive engagement, comprehensive talent development, responsible AI governance, and strategic alignment between AI initiatives and broader business objectives. As Qatar organizations accelerate their AI transformation journey, the rapid growth of emerging and scaling organizations is building a strong foundation to move from experimentation to scale and unlock new sources of AI-driven value.

Read the Full Report:  To explore BCG’s complete analysis, read the comprehensive report [here].

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