Tech News
GCC ASSET MANAGEMENT REACHES $2.7 TRILLION IN 2025, UP 10% FROM 2024
Assets under management (AuM[1]) in the GCC grew by 10% in 2025, reaching $2.7 trillion and marking one of the strongest annual performances in over a decade, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG). The findings, released as part of BCG’s Global Asset Management Report 2026: An Imperative for Growth, reveal that the GCC retail segment demonstrated particularly strong performance, recording growth of 14% while institutional assets increased by 9%. While institutional assets continue to dominate the regional market, retail assets are growing at a faster pace, with retail representing 7% and institutional assets accounting for 93% of total regional AuM.
Saudi Arabia continues to anchor regional growth, commanding the highest share of retail mutual funds and ETFs across both the broader Middle East and the GCC, followed by the UAE and Kuwait. The Kingdom’s General Organization for Social Insurance Public Pension Agency (GOSI-PPA) remains the largest pension fund in the region, with Kuwait’s WAFRA maintaining its position as the second largest. Among sovereign wealth funds, the Kuwait Investment Authority recorded the largest externally managed AuM, followed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
“The GCC asset management industry is at an inflection point that demands a fundamentally different approach to competition,” said Lukasz Rey, Managing Director & Partner and Middle East Head of Financial Institutions at BCG. “While near-term dynamics will depend on the broader market environment, the region’s structural fundamentals remain compelling, and many asset managers continue to view the GCC as a strategic priority. Firms that invest in distribution capabilities and technological transformation will be best positioned to navigate uncertainty and capture the opportunities ahead.”
In addition to regional dynamics, BCG’s Global Asset Management Report 2026 identifies key structural forces transforming the industry on a global scale, from the growing centrality of distribution to the adoption of AI-driven operating models and the emergence of tokenization.
Globally, BCG’s report finds that growth is becoming more concentrated among leading firms with scale and distribution access. Revenue growth is decoupling from asset growth as fees decline, while traditional economies of scale are being offset by rising technology investment and fee pressure. Together, these trends point to a more competitive environment in which only a subset of firms is positioned to capture disproportionate growth.
Distribution Becomes the Key Competitive Differentiator
The report emphasizes that the basis of competition in asset management is undergoing a structural shift globally, with distribution emerging as the primary battleground for growth. As product manufacturing becomes increasingly commoditized, control of distribution channels, including platforms, advisors, and institutional relationships, is becoming the key determinant of success.
AI is accelerating these shifts by compressing traditional differentiation and enabling new forms of scale. Globally, BCG estimates asset managers could reduce costs by 25–35% over the next three to five years, while increasing research coverage two- to five-fold and client coverage per relationship manager three to five-fold, all with faster, more scalable personalization. AI allows firms to scale without proportional headcount increases, fundamentally changing the economics of growth. However, most firms remain in early adoption stages, focused on pilots rather than full transformation. Those that fail to redesign their operating models risk falling behind AI-native competitors that can scale faster and operate more efficiently.
“Middle East asset managers have an opportunity to leapfrog traditional operating models by embedding AI and digital capabilities into their core operations,” said Mohammad Khan, Managing Director & Partner at BCG. “While the path forward will require navigating evolving market conditions, firms that move strategically to build scalable distribution networks and technology-enabled platforms will be well positioned to shape the next era of regional asset management.”
Tokenization as a Catalyst for Disruption
Alongside AI, BCG’s global report identifies tokenization and digital assets as emerging forces that could reshape market structure. The value of tokenized real-world assets is projected to reach $14 trillion by 2030 and $55 trillion by 2035, creating new channels for distribution, ownership, and product design. These developments could alter how assets are accessed, transferred, and managed, potentially weakening traditional advantages tied to scale and distribution while enabling new entrants to compete.
“The convergence of tokenization, AI, and evolving investor expectations is reshaping the competitive landscape in ways that favor agility over incumbency,” said Nabil Saadallah, Managing Director & Partner at BCG. “For asset managers in the GCC, success will increasingly hinge on their ability to deliver personalized solutions at scale, those who embrace this shift stand to unlock significant value in a rapidly transforming market.”
As market-driven growth gives way to competition-driven growth, asset managers face a more complex and less forgiving landscape. Capturing net inflows, building scalable distribution, and embedding technology into core operations will determine which firms succeed.
Tech News
SHAFFRA HOSTS SUBCONSCIOUS AI LAUNCH EVENT IN RIYADH, ANNOUNCES 20+ NEW AI ROLES SET FOR RELEASE IN SEPTEMBER
Shaffra, a Saudi-based enterprise AI company building autonomous AI workforce infrastructure for governments and large organisations, has launched Subconscious AI at The Shaffra Convergence in Riyadh. Introduced before senior government representatives, enterprise leaders, investors, and technology stakeholders, Subconscious AI marks a major step in Shaffra’s vision to move enterprise AI beyond chatbots and copilots toward intelligent AI workforces that can operate with memory, context, and governance inside real organisations.
Subconscious AI has been developed as the cognitive intelligence layer within Shaffra’s Enterprise AI Workforce Platform. It enables autonomous AI teams to remember what matters, prioritise relevant knowledge, and reason with stronger business context by creating a continuously updated layer of organisational intelligence. Instead of repeatedly processing full historical data, AI employees can access the most relevant information in real time, improving efficiency, continuity, and decision support across complex enterprise workflows.
The launch also showcased how Subconscious AI will support Shaffra’s expanding portfolio of enterprise AI roles. The current portfolio includes AI sales agents, receptionists, and project managers, with more than 20 additional AI roles scheduled for launch in September 2026. These roles are designed to help organisations deploy governed AI employees across sales, operations, finance, HR, customer service, and knowledge management.
“The next phase of enterprise AI will not be defined by chatbots or copilots, but by AI systems that can operate with memory, context and accountability inside real organisations,” said Alharith Alatawi, CEO and Co-Founder of Shaffra. “Subconscious AI is built for this shift. It gives autonomous AI teams the ability to retain what matters, prioritise business knowledge, and act with stronger organisational context. This is what makes AI practical, governed and valuable at enterprise scale.”
Shaffra is expanding its footprint beyond Saudi Arabia, with services now reaching selected Asian and European markets, alongside continued growth across Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. The company is backed by leading regional and international investors, including stc, Omantel, and global technology leaders, having raised more than $10 million to accelerate the development of enterprise AI technologies and autonomous workforce platforms.
The launch of Subconscious AI reflects Shaffra’s belief that the future of enterprise AI is not about replacing human expertise but increasing its impact. As organisations adopt autonomous AI teams, competitive advantage will come from leaders and employees who know how to combine human judgment with AI systems that can remember, prioritise, and execute within real business operations.
Tech News
RAIYN LAUNCHES AS THE TRUST-LED COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK OF THE FUTURE
RAIYN, the trust-led communications network built for the future, was unveiled today at the Museum of the Future in Dubai by Mazen Nahawi, Founder and CEO of CARMA and RAIYN.
The network brings together four of the region’s leading specialist communications firms, Brazen MENA, Cicero & Bernay, Salient Communication Group and SOCIALEYEZ under a single accountable structure. RAIYN is designed to help organisations across MENA and beyond strengthen their reputation, make better decisions, and deliver outcomes with lasting impact.
The organisations RAIYN serves operate in an environment defined by constant change, heightened scrutiny and increasingly complex stakeholder expectations. Reputation and business performance are more closely connected than ever, yet many leaders still navigate them through fragmented advice and disconnected specialists. RAIYN brings these capabilities together into one integrated model.
It offers clients a team of owner-operators who bring passion and strength, an integrated platform of insights, strategy, and creativity, specialisation that brings in-depth sector expertise, and measurement that proves value. Every engagement starts with regional expertise and aligned thinking, so that communications are relevant, credible and effective from the outset. Its approach is defined by transparent counsel, clear ownership and accountable delivery. Decision-making stays close to the work, and success is measured by the impact created for clients.
Commenting on the launch, Nahawi said:
“The people of this region, nationals and expats, are best suited to speak on its behalf. That is the belief on which RAIYN is built. We have brought together the best practitioners in the region, combining creativity, sector expertise, AI mastery and cultural depth. Communications needs a new dawn. That dawn begins with trust. RAIYN is a promise to bring people together, to build respect and to put trust at the centre of everything our industry does.”
Nahawi, who has spent 30 years helping shape the world’s communications intelligence industry, is joined by four RAIYN principals: Ahmad Itani, Founder and Chief Advisor, Cicero & Bernay; Louise Jacobson, Managing Partner, Brazen MENA; Sean Trainor, Chief Executive, Salient Communication Group; and Tarek Esper, Managing Director, SOCIALEYEZ.
Each firm contributes distinct strengths to one connected model.
- Brazen MENA is an insights-led communications agency shaping reputations and building influence for global and regional brands across lifestyle, luxury and corporate communications. Built on strategy, intelligence, care and genuine partnership with every client.
- Cicero & Bernay has helped define the evolution of strategic communication across the MENA region, bringing analytical rigour, creative discipline and a culture of measurable outcomes, guided by its enduring principle “Empowered by Facts.”
- Salient Communication Group is a Riyadh-based strategic communication consultancy helping leaders close the gap between what their organisations do and what stakeholders believe they do.
- SOCIALEYEZ is the Middle East’s leading team of creative strategists, driven by its philosophy “Create No Matter What,” which brings strategy and execution under one roof and ensures ideas land creatively and deliver commercially.
RAIYN brings together more than 700 professionals across strategic advisory, creative, digital and intelligence, and operates within News Group International (NGI), which also owns CARMA, the global media intelligence company. Through CARMA, RAIYN embeds real-time intelligence, analysis and foresight into strategy, counsel and outcome measurement, helping organisations navigate complexity and identify opportunities as they emerge.
The name RAIYN reflects the principles on which the network is built. Drawing inspiration from light (Ray), growth (Rain), humanity (Ai), intelligence (AI) and balance (Y/N), it represents the balance between human relationships and technology, intelligence and creativity, ambition and responsibility. At its heart is a belief that the strongest communications are built when different perspectives, disciplines and strengths come together to create trust and lasting value.
Tech News
Medcare: First Healthcare Provider in EMEA to Adopt InterSystems IntelliCare
Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres, part of Aster DM Healthcare Group, has partnered with InterSystems to implement InterSystems IntelliCare™, becoming the first healthcare provider in the UAE to deploy a next-generation, AI-first electronic health record (EHR) platform.
Unlike conventional EHR systems that integrate artificial intelligence as an additional capability, IntelliCare has been built with AI embedded at the core of its clinical workflows. The platform is designed to streamline administrative processes, reduce documentation burdens, and enable physicians to dedicate more time to patient care while improving operational efficiency across Medcare’s network.
The AI-powered platform will provide clinicians with faster access to comprehensive patient information, including diagnoses, medications, laboratory results, procedures, and previous clinical notes. Features such as natural language interaction, intelligent information retrieval, and ambient clinical documentation are expected to simplify day-to-day workflows and reduce time spent on manual administrative tasks.
Future releases of IntelliCare will also introduce agentic AI capabilities, allowing intelligent assistants to support clinical decision-making and workflow management while ensuring physicians remain in control of care decisions.
Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO of Aster DM Healthcare, said the implementation represents a significant step towards redefining healthcare delivery through intelligent technologies that augment clinical expertise rather than simply digitising existing processes.
The deployment also strengthens Medcare’s broader digital transformation strategy, reinforcing its commitment to delivering more connected, data-driven, and patient-centric healthcare services. With a unified digital health record spanning hospitals, clinics, laboratories, and insurers, the platform is expected to improve continuity of care, minimise duplication, and support more informed treatment decisions.
Ali Abi Raad, Managing Director of InterSystems Middle East, India and South Africa, noted that the implementation builds on a long-standing partnership between the two organisations and marks the next stage in Medcare’s healthcare technology journey.
Since its global launch in 2025, IntelliCare has been deployed across eight hospitals operated by Indonesia’s EMC Healthcare and is the first unified AI-powered electronic health record platform to achieve the European Union’s Class IIa Medical Device Regulation (MDR) certification for clinical safety.
The rollout positions Medcare among the region’s early adopters of AI-native healthcare platforms as healthcare providers increasingly look to intelligent systems to improve clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, and patient experience.
-
News11 years ago
SENDQUICK (TALARIAX) INTRODUCES SQOOPE – THE BREAKTHROUGH IN MOBILE MESSAGING
-
Trending8 months agoOPPO A6 Pro 5G Review: Reliable Daily Driver
-
Tech News2 years agoDenodo Bolsters Executive Team by Hiring Christophe Culine as its Chief Revenue Officer
-
VAR1 year agoMicrosoft Launches New Surface Copilot+ PCs for Business
-
Automotive2 years agoAGMC Launches the RIDDARA RD6 High Performance Fully Electric 4×4 Pickup
-
Tech Interviews2 years ago
Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape in Hybrid Work Environments
-
Tech News12 months agoNothing Launches flagship Nothing Phone (3) and Headphone (1) in theme with the Iconic Museum of the Future in Dubai
-
VAR2 years agoSamsung Galaxy Z Fold6 vs Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold: Clash Of The Folding Phenoms


