84% expect to outperform their competitors over the next five to ten years, compared to 72% globally
As business leaders navigate competing pressures around growth, talent, technology and succession, family business leaders across the Middle East report stronger confidence about their prospects than their peers globally, according to the KPMG Middle East Family Business Report 2026.
The findings come as the Arab region’s economy approaches approximately US$ 4tn, with family businesses accounting for an estimated 60% of GCC GDP and representing a large share of private-sector wealth and employment.
The report, which surveyed 135 senior family business leaders across the region, found that 84% of family businesses in the Middle East expect to outperform their competitors over the next five to ten years, compared to 72% globally.
Greater emphasis
The region also places significantly greater emphasis on long-term stewardship than the global average, with 81% saying they would prioritise family unity even at the cost of lower returns, compared to 66% globally.
Geographic expansion has emerged as the defining growth priority for the decade ahead. More than a third of respondents (36%) ranked expanding their geographic footprint as their single highest-impact growth driver to 2035, more than any other lever, with more than half placing it among their top two priorities.
Strategic decision-making
Governance and strategic decision-making showed the sharpest climb between time horizons, rising from 19% in the short term to 27% long term, reflecting expectations that decision-making structures are becoming more demanding as they grow and transition across generations.
“Family-owned enterprises have driven regional economic growth for generations. Across the Middle East, they have repeatedly demonstrated that long-term thinking, strong values, and deep relationships are genuine competitive strengths,” noted Abdullah Akbar, Partner and Head, Private Enterprise at KPMG Middle East.
