Arab Media AI Spending To Hit $520 Million In 2026: What It Means For Journalists

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Artificial intelligence (AI) spending by media companies in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region is expected to reach $520 million in 2026, as the technology moves beyond individual tools and becomes part of everyday newsroom and media operations.

The figure is up from an estimated $380 million in 2025 and $260 million in 2024, according to the newly launched Arab Media in the Age of AI report.

Recommended For You

Globally, AI spending by media companies is expected to reach $15.9 billion this year. The UAE is among the region's biggest markets, accounting for an estimated 18 per cent of MENA spending, or $94.7 million, in 2026. Saudi Arabia accounts for 26 per cent, while Qatar represents seven per cent.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The report was discussed during a session at the Arab Media Summit in Dubai, where experts said AI is no longer being used only for specific tasks but is beginning to reshape how content is created, produced and distributed.

Emmanuel Durou, senior partner, Media and Entertainment at Deloitte Middle East, said the industry is moving from using AI for specific use cases towards treating it as a capability across the media value chain.

In newsrooms, this can include research and early-stage writing as well as production, post-production, dubbing and preparing content for different platforms, he said during the session.

The report shows that software accounts for 62 per cent of AI spending by Mena media companies in 2026, compared with 38 per cent for services. Within software, content distribution accounts for 32 per cent of spending, followed by content generation at 26 per cent.

What happens to young journalists?

But as AI becomes more capable of handling tasks traditionally given to junior journalists and other young media professionals, the report raises another question: how will the next generation learn?

Research, drafting and other routine assignments have traditionally helped young journalists develop their skills before taking on greater editorial responsibility.

The report warns that removing these tasks without creating new ways to learn could have consequences later.

"If AI removes the first rung of the career ladder without replacing the learning it provided, productivity gains today could create a talent gap tomorrow," the report said.

Rather than removing opportunities for young employees, the report recommends using AI to reduce repetitive work while moving people earlier towards judgement, creativity and responsibility.

Hend Fekri, director of the Strategic Media Relations Department at the Government of Dubai Media Office, made a similar point during the session.

She said organisations should not begin their AI strategy by choosing a tool. "We don't start with the tool. We start with the problem that we want to fix," she noted.

Fekri said communication leaders should focus on three areas: intelligence, integration and judgement.

AI can help organisations understand information and audiences and use that information more effectively, she said, but the final decision still needs human judgement.

The question for a communication professional becomes whether a piece of content should be used, when it should be used and whether it is appropriate at all.

"The objective is not to automate communication," she underscored, explaining, the goal is to build more intelligent communication while keeping human judgement decisive.

AI use already highest in UAE

The report estimates that around 75 per cent of media organisations in the UAE are already using AI in at least one operational workflow, the highest level among the Arab markets assessed.

Saudi Arabia follows at 70 per cent and Qatar at 65 per cent, while Egypt stands at around 40 per cent and Lebanon at 35 per cent.

By 2030, the report estimates AI adoption could exceed 95 per cent among media organisations in both the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The applications already extend beyond writing. AI is being used in content creation, translation and localisation, newsroom support, audience analytics and workflow automation, although the level of use differs between countries.

New questions over trust and regulation

As adoption grows, media organisations will also have to decide how AI should be governed.

Durou said regulation of AI in media cannot be considered separately from existing rules covering areas such as privacy, misinformation and the responsibilities of platforms.

However, AI is creating additional questions around ownership, transparency and whether audiences should be told when content has been generated using the technology.

The report argues that the next phase will be more difficult than simply experimenting with AI tools. Media companies will need to decide where the technology creates real value, how it should be integrated into daily operations and how employees should be trained to work alongside it.

For journalists, that could mean a newsroom where AI handles more of the repetitive work - but where human judgement, creativity and responsibility become even more important.

ALSO READ

AI is not killing jobs in UAE, GCC, but reshaping roles, says new report UAE enterprises shift from AI pilots to business transformation AI fluency becomes essential skill as UAE firms prepare workforce shift

MENAFN16092026000049011007ID1111676941