UAE Businesses Prioritise Vendor Consolidation and Cybersecurity Amid AI Expansion

According to the Modern Enterprise Readiness Study 2026 conducted by Dell Technologies and Vanson Bourne, reported by MSSP Alert via TahawulTech, macroeconomic uncertainty, AI integration, and evolving compliance rules are reshaping corporate technology investment across the UAE. The study, which surveyed 1,500 business and IT decision-makers, found that economic pressures have prompted 82% of organizations to become more selective with spending, emphasizing value and operational efficiency.

This spending discipline has driven a move toward technology consolidation, with 86% of UAE respondents indicating a preference for fulfilling IT needs through a single strategic partner. Meanwhile, modern workplace hardware is increasingly viewed as a prerequisite for emerging technologies, with 66% noting that outdated devices hinder their adoption.

Although artificial intelligence adoption is advancing, organizations face obstacles in scaling deployments. The study revealed that 68% of respondents are concerned about regulatory compliance, and an identical 68% reported that security, privacy, and compliance issues have slowed their AI initiatives. Technical infrastructure remains another barrier, with 68% of IT leaders reporting that their existing systems are unprepared for AI workloads.

As a result, cybersecurity has shifted to a baseline requirement, with 90% of business and IT leaders expecting security protections to be built into all technology proposals from the outset. MSSP Alert noted that domestic regulations, including the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection framework and the Personal Data Protection Law, are reinforcing the push for embedded cyber readiness and resilience at the board level.