Reimagining our region newsletter - July Issue

Welcome to the summer edition of our newsletter!

Explore our newest insights, industry reports, and key topics shaping the region. Stay updated with everything you need to know.

Welcoming our new Partners across PwC Middle East 🎉 

We’re proud to welcome 62 new partners to our firm across all lines of service. This milestone reflects our commitment to exceptional talent and future-ready leadership to meet the region’s evolving needs. 

Each appointment marks a step forward in building a diverse, dynamic partnership that drives value to our clients, our people and the communities we serve. 

 Congratulations to all. Read more here.

2025 Capital Projects & Infrastructure Survey 

🏢The Middle East’s capital projects market is evolving. Governments are now moving from bold announcements to tangible delivery – underpinned by stronger governance, regulatory reforms and increased  private sector participation. 

Major national commitments like Saudi Arabia’s FIFA World Cup 2034, Expo 2030 Riyadh, and Dubai’s Urban Master Plan are shaping a new era of investment, one that integrates infrastructure, sustainability and long-term economic goals. 

Our latest report, based on insights from over 100 capital projects and infrastructure specialists, explores the forces reshaping the sector over the last 10 years. While the outlook remains strong with 75% of leaders expecting increased capital spending over the next two years, the path to delivery is changing. Private financing is becoming central, with 80% of respondents calling it critical to project success, up from just 50% in 2022. 

Saudi Arabia remains the region’s top investment destination, followed by the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Egypt. As urban development accelerates, companies are sharpening their focus on efficiency, quality and long-term impact. 

🔗Explore the full report: https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/publications/capital-projects-and-infrastructure-survey-2025.html 

Stay, Play, Shop: Shaping integrated destinations for connected visitor experiences 

Destination development across the GCC is entering a new chapter. No longer defined by skyline or size, today’s most successful places are those that create meaningful experiences, spaces that visitors don’t just pass through but connect with on a deeper level. 

In collaboration with travel intelligence provider Mabrian Technologies Official, our latest report explores this evolution and introduces a strategic framework built around three powerful pillars: ‘Stay, Play, Shop’. 

Where once value was measured in square footage or visitor footfall, it is now shaped by how well a destination welcomes, engages and inspires its audience. The new generation of visitors is looking for more than infrastructure. They seek human-centred environments where culture, wellness, learning, and leisure intersect seamlessly. 

Across the region, we’re seeing this in action; from heritage districts and waterfront hospitality to sports cities, education hubs, and immersive entertainment experiences. The focus is shifting from construction to curation, designing destinations that are emotionally resonant and economically resilient. 

• Stay anchors identity and belonging. 

•  Play activates interaction and memory. 

•  Shop transforms transactions into meaningful moments. 

This framework is more than a planning tool, it’s a blueprint for building experience-led ecosystems that reflect national ambitions and rising visitor expectations. 

📘 Explore the full report to learn how ‘Stay, Play, Shop’ can reshape the future of destinations across the region.

فتح آفاق المستقبل للعقارات المستدامة في المملكة العربية السعودية

مع تسارع وتيرة التنمية الحضرية وتشجيع تملك المنازل، لم تعد معايير الحوكمة البيئية والاجتماعية والمؤسسية (ESG) خيارًا – بل أصبحت ضرورة. 

في أحدث تقاريرنا، نستعرض كيف يُعدّ الإسكان المستدام محورًا أساسيًا لتحقيق مستهدفات رؤية السعودية 2030، مع خارطة طريق واضحة للمطورين للامتثال للمعايير العالمية وجذب الاستثمارات طويلة الأجل. 

📊 اكتشف كيف يمكن للنمو الحضري أن يخلق فرصًا استثمارية مستدامة وفق معايير ESG ويعيد تشكيل مستقبل العقار في المنطقة. 

اقرأ المزيد هتا

PwC Leaders join Al Arabiya English to discuss future of the Middle East🌍 

The Middle East is entering a defining era where disruption is not a challenge – it is an opportunity to create value. From AI and climate change to shifting economic forces, CEOs across the region are reimagining how they can reinvent themselves to stay viable. 

At PwC Middle East, we are proud to be part of this conversation. As featured in Al Arabiya’s Innovation and Disruption Leaders docuseries, four of our leaders - Riyadh Al Najjar, Dr. Yahya Anouti, Ali Hosseini and Mona Abou Hana - reflect on how organisations are preparing for what comes next. 

In this special episode, they share bold insights on navigating economic shifts, redefining business models and unlocking growth in a transforming landscape. With AI, climate action, and innovation at the heart of today’s agenda, resilience and reinvention have become immediate business imperatives, not long-term goals. 

🎙️ Hear what they had to say, and read more here: https://www.pwc.com/m1/en/media-centre/articles/reinventing-business-models.html  

Interested in more content from PwC Middle East? Explore our website and keep checking our page for our monthly newsletter.

Subscribe to 'Reimagining our Region' and receive a monthly round-up of our latest insights, blogs, and industry reports on hot topics from the region.