The KPMG 2021 CEO Outlook – UAE finds 92 percent of CEOs are confident about the country’s growth prospects compared with 82 percent of their global counterparts. Similarly, 88 percent are optimistic about their company’s growth. The prospect of a stronger future is a result of the UAE government’s response to the pandemic, such as imposing an early lockdown, promoting the vaccination program alongside spreading awareness, and government stimulus measures announced last year.

Investor sentiment has increased due to the country’s recent progressive reforms, including new long-term visa schemes. Expo 2020 Dubai is also expected to play a big role in driving economic growth this year and next, boosting tourism and foreign investment and contributing to an anticipated economic growth rate of 4.9 percent in 2022.

Key findings include:

• Changing sentiment on the future of work: With people returning to places of work, CEOs are focusing more on flexibility rather than wholesale changes to office-based work. Only 8 percent of UAE CEOs plan to downsize (or have already downsized) their physical footprint or office space because of the pandemic and changing working habits.

Source Credit: SME10x