The Middle East is on track to attract more than $100 billion (Dh370 billion) a year in major investments by 2026, spanning energy, renewables, healthcare, digital infrastructure and manufacturing, according to a new industry outlook by Grand View Research (GVR).

Despite the global shift towards cleaner energy, the region, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, is expected to remain a global powerhouse in oil and gas, while rapidly scaling renewable energy, digital transformation and healthcare innovation.

Oil and gas remain central, with a tech-driven twist

The UAE and its Gulf neighbours currently account for around 30 per cent of global oil production and 17–18 per cent of gas output, cementing the region’s role as a key energy supplier.

While global oil demand growth is expected to remain modest through 2026, gas demand is forecast to rise by around 3.5 per cent, driven by power generation, industrial expansion and LNG exports.

“The Middle East’s oil and gas sector remains a market anchor, but technology adoption and LNG expansion will define competitiveness over the next few years,” said Swayam Dash, Managing Director at Grand View Research.

Across the UAE, producers are increasingly deploying AI, IoT, drones and robotics to cut costs and improve operational efficiency, alongside investments in carbon capture, storage and early-stage hydrogen projects under the UAE Energy Strategy 2050.

Renewables and battery storage gain pace

Renewable energy is expanding rapidly across the Gulf, with falling solar auction prices making clean energy increasingly competitive. Both the UAE and Saudi Arabia are mandating battery storage alongside new solar and wind projects, helping stabilise power grids as renewable capacity grows.

Dubai has announced plans for multi-gigawatt renewable additions by 2030, while Saudi Arabia continues to roll out large-scale solar and hydrogen projects under Vision 2030.

Healthcare becomes an economic growth engine

Healthcare is also emerging as a strategic investment sector. In 2023, Dubai welcomed more than 690,000 medical tourists, generating over Dh1 billion in healthcare revenue and boosting related sectors such as hospitality and travel.

The UAE’s National Digital Health Strategy, which integrates platforms like Riayati, Malaffi and Nabidh, has consolidated more than 1.9 billion medical records across 3,000 facilities, positioning the country as a regional leader in digital healthcare.

Data centres, cloud and advanced manufacturing

Digital infrastructure is another major growth driver. The GCC data centre market is expected to grow at around 13 per cent annually through 2030, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounting for up to 70 per cent of new capacity.

Cloud adoption is accelerating too, with nearly 75 per cent of organisations expected to rely mainly on cloud platforms by 2026, boosting demand for cybersecurity, AI and enterprise digital tools.

By 2026, GVR expects the region’s economy to reflect balanced diversification, combining energy leadership with rapid growth in renewables, healthcare, digital systems and advanced manufacturing.

“The scale of investment shows how the Middle East is shifting from resource reliance to technology-enabled growth,” Dash said.

For thousands of UAE residents, the slow crawl between Dubai and Sharjah is more than a test of patience, it may be quietly hurting their health. Medical experts are now warning that those long, motionless minutes behind the wheel could be taking a serious toll on commuters’ knees.

According to leading knee specialist Dr Azam Badar Khan, popularly known as Dr Knee, early knee pain and stiffness are becoming increasingly common among regular drivers stuck in daily congestion. What should ideally be a quick 30-minute trip often becomes a marathon commute well over an hour, and that prolonged immobility comes with consequences.

“Keeping your knees locked in one position for too long compresses the joint,” Dr Khan explains. 

“Over time, this leads to pain, swelling, and early degeneration, and we’re seeing this now even in people as young as 35.”

The routine grind between Dubai, Sharjah, and the Northern Emirates places constant, repetitive strain on drivers: accelerator–brake movements, limited opportunities to stretch, and steady pressure on the knee joint from sitting too long. 

Dr Khan says more than 40 per cent of his patients are between 30 and 50 years old, many of whom spend one to two hours a day in their cars. Over time, these long periods of inactivity weaken the quadriceps, the key muscle supporting the knee, making joints more vulnerable to injury and chronic discomfort.

But it’s not all bad news. Dr Knee stresses that a few simple adjustments can make a surprisingly big difference. Ensuring your seat is positioned so your knees don’t sit higher than your hips, avoiding overextension while driving, and taking quick “micro-breaks” to flex or gently stretch the legs can help restore circulation and reduce pressure. Strengthening the supporting muscles with just a few minutes of daily exercise also provides vital protection, while maintaining a healthy weight helps reduce unnecessary strain.

And there’s one post-commute habit Dr Khan wants drivers to ditch immediately: sitting cross-legged at home. After hours of knee compression in traffic, he says, this position only worsens stiffness and slows recovery.

“Traffic may be part of life here, but knee damage doesn’t have to be,” Dr Khan says.

Through his initiative, Let’s Walk Again with Dr Knee, he continues to push for early awareness and intervention. Upcoming knee-health camps and free check-ups across Dubai aim to help residents spot warning signs sooner, long before everyday activities become difficult.

“Prevention is always better than cure,” he adds. 

“Don’t wait for the pain to take over.”

In January, something extraordinary will unfold in Malawi, one of the world’s least developed countries, where knee specialists simply don’t exist, and where thousands live with chronic pain they’ve quietly carried for years. For many Malawians, the idea of walking without discomfort has long felt like a distant dream.

That may finally begin to change.

Dr Azam Badar Khan, better known across Dubai as “Dr Knee”, is returning to Malawi to lead the country’s first-ever knee surgery camp, bringing hope to patients who’ve never had access to this kind of care. And for the surgeon who has been working in Dubai’s top hospitals for more than 20 years, this mission is personal.

“When you meet someone who has lived with pain for 20 years and tells you they’ve simply ‘learned to manage,’ it stays with you,” Dr Knee said. “This camp is about giving them back the ability to move, work, dance, and live.”

A Country Where Knee Pain Is a Life Sentence

Last December, Dr Knee travelled across Blantyre and the capital, Lilongwe, where he examined more than 400 patients in just four days. The cases told the story of a nation battling what he calls a “silent epidemic of mobility loss.”

From severe osteoarthritis to injuries left untreated for decades, nearly every patient had one thing in common: There was nowhere to go for help.

Malawi, home to more than 21 million people, has no dedicated knee surgeon and limited orthopaedic services. Many people rely on makeshift support, living each day with grinding pain.

A Camp That Could Change Everything

In January, that begins to shift. Over six days, Dr Knee and his team will perform advanced procedures, from total knee replacements to corrective surgeries, at LMJ Hospital in Blantyre and LSF Hospital in Lilongwe.

Regional health officials say the impact could be transformational, not just for the patients, but for the country’s entire healthcare system.

Skill-sharing with local doctors, new treatment pathways, training programmes, all of it could plant the seeds for Malawi’s first real orthopaedic network.

Why Dubai Matters

Behind this mission is a city that has quietly become a launchpad for global medical outreach: Dubai.

“Dubai gave us the reach to scale a mission that started with a simple idea, helping people walk pain-free for longer,” Dr Knee said.

With its international connectivity and innovation-driven healthcare sector, the emirate has helped turn Dr Knee’s mobility mission into a cross-border movement spanning Africa, Asia, and soon even more regions.

A Blueprint for a Continent

The Malawi mission is only the beginning. Talks are already underway with health authorities in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Uganda to develop broader mobility care programmes.
Back in the UAE, Dr Knee is also preparing for his first Dubai edition of the “Walk Again with Dr Knee” campaign this February, a project focused on early diagnosis, public awareness, and accessible joint care.

“We’re building a network of mobility care across continents,” he said. 

“Every step we take in one country helps strengthen the next.”

For patients in Malawi, those steps could soon feel lighter, and, for many, pain-free for the first time in their lives.